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APPLETONS' ^'^ 



GUIDE TO MEXICO, 



INCLUDING A 



CHAPTEPw ON GUATEMALA, AND A COMPLETE 
ENGLISH-SPANISH VOCABULARY. 



j/ BY 

ALFRED R. CONKLING, LL. B., Ph. B., 

MEBIBEK OP THE NEW TOBK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, AND FOEMEELY UNITED STATES 

GEOLOGIST. 



WITH A EAILWAY MAP AND ILLUSTEATIONS. 



l-'nr."-'^-. 




2 1384 ]]/ 



S^y- 



2s[o..aJ67/-t^,. 



NEW YORK: 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 

1, 3, AND 5 BOND STEEET. 

1884. 



COPTKIGHT BT 

p. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 

1883. 

.C15 



PEE FACE. 



Since tlie year 1880, a large amount of capital lias 
been invested in Mexico by citizens of the United States. 
Within that period an unprecedented number of the Eng- 
lish-speaking races have visited that country either as 
tourists, or as explorers with a view to an actual settle- 
ment and a permanent residence. 

During a professional visit to the Mexican Hepublic, 
in the winter and spring of this year, the author experi- 
enced from day to day, and frequently from hour to hour, 
the want of a compendious guide-book. While many 
volumes of history and of general observation and travel 
relating to Mexico have, from time to time, been pub- 
lished, no book of this description is known to exist. 

Believing that our sister Republic will in future, to a 
far greater extent than ever before, be the resort of the 
capitalist, the speculator, the artist, the archaeologist, the 
valetudinarian, and the pleasure-seeker, as well as of the 
intelligent and enterprising man of business, the author 
has endeavored to render each and all an acceptable ser- 
vice by the preparation of this manual. It has been his 



iv PREFACE. 

constant aim to use tlie shortest words, and to adopt the 
most compact and abbreviated forms of expression con- 
sistent with perspicuity. In the spelling of both proper 
najnes and places he has, for the most part, followed the 
orthography of the best maps and of the standard works 
on Mexico, except where changes have been introduced 
by common usage. For instance, the name of President 
Santa Anna, although correctly spelled with a single let- 
ter " ^," has so long been spelled with a double " ^," that 
the change may be said to be sanctioned by universal 
usage. 

The vocabulary of Spanish words, together with the 
collection of colloquial phrases, has been made as complete 
as the limited space devoted to it would permit. At 
present every new-comer, unless a Spaniard or a Spanish 
scholar, is obliged to purchase a dictionary immediately 
on his arrival in the country. It is believed that this 
want will be in a great measure suppHed by this volume. 

One half of this work is in the form of a compendium 
of general information for the use of tom'ists as well as of 
settlers. In the itinerary, all names of places are italicized 
for the convenience of the reader. 

It is to be borne in mind that Mexico is at present in 
a transition state. The beard may be said to have grown 
during the shaving. It has accordingly been found neces- 
sary to revise the proof-sheets of Sections lY and Y up 
to the moment of going to press. 

The author desires to express his great obhgation to 
General U. S. Grant; General Manuel Gonzalez, the 



PREFACE. y 

President of Mexico ; Sen ores Matias and Cayetano Ro- 
mero, of tlie Mexican Legation at Washington ; Don Igna- 
cio Mariscal, ex-Secretary of Foreign Affairs of tlie Mexi- 
can Eepnblic ; Hon. P. H. Morgan, United States Min- 
ister at Mexico ; Hon. D. H. Strother, Consnl-General of 
the United States ; Hon. W. P. Sntton and Hon. A. Wil- 
lard, Consuls at Matamoros and Guajmas respectively; 
Mr. Simon Stevens; Thomas Mckerson, Esq., Rudolph 
Fink, Esq., and D. B. Robinson, Esq., of the Mexican 
Central Railway Coriipany; and to Messrs. Spackman, 
Gardner, and Kevin, of the Mexican J^ational Railway 
Company, for much valuable information and assistance 
in the preparation of these pages. 

New York, November i, 1883. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



PART FIRST 

CHAPTER 

I. — Traveling in Mexico . 

Hints . 

When to Travel . 

How to Travel 

An Agi'icultural Trip 

A Mining Trip 

The Cost of Travel 

Railroads 

Steamships 

Diligences 

Horse-cars 

Horses and Mules 

Express . 
II. — History . 
III. — Geography- 
Situation 

Boundaries 

Area . 
Topography . 

Mountains 

Rivers 

Lakes . 

Islands 

■ Climate 

Political Divisions 
IV. — Literature 
v. — Ruins . 

Mayapan 

Uxmal . , 



PAGE 

1 

1-2 

3-4 

4-5 

6 

6 

6 

7-12 

12-13 

13-14 

14-15 

15 

15-16 

16-24 

25-33 

25 

25 

25 

25-30 

25-28 

29 

29-30 

30 

30-31 

32-33 

33 

34-49 

36 

36-38 



Vlll 



TABLE OF CON-TENTS. 



Palenque . 
Mitla . 
The Pyramids 
Cholula 

San Juan Teotihuacan 
Papantla 

Northern Mexico . 
VI. — Hotels and Restaurants 
VII. — ^Passport 
VIII. — Custom-Houses . 
IX. — Commerce 
X. — Army and Navy . 
XI.— Duties . 
XII.— Taxes 
XIII. — ^Finance 
XIV.— Public Debt 
XV. — Money — Coins 
XVI.— Mints 

XVII.— Post-Office and Letters 
XVm.— Telegraphs 
XIX.— Census 
XX. — Population 
XXI. — Architecture . 
XXn.— Painting . 
XXIII. — Immigration . 
XXIV.— Mines 
XXV. — Mineral Springs 
XXVE.— Geology . 
XXVII.— Zoology 
XXVIII.— Botany . 
XXIX.— Agriculture . 
XXX. — Maps and Surveys 
XXXI.— Stock-Raising . 
XXXII. — Weights and Measures 
XXXIII.— Labor and Wages 
XXXIV. — Wines and Liquors 
XXXV.— Cigars and Tobacco 
XXXVI.— Manufactures 
XXXVII.— Native Productions 
XXXVIII.— Jewelry . 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



IX 



CHAPTER , 

XXXIX.— Theatres 
XL. — Music 
XLI. — Dances 
XLII.— Festivals . 
XLIII.— Bull-fights 
XLIY.— Cock-fights 
XLV. — Costumes 
XLYI.— Lotteries . 
XL VII.— Stores . 
XLVIIL— Pawnbroker-Shops 
XLIX.— The Church . 
L. — Jurisprudence 
LI. — Education 
LII. — Newspapers 
LIII. — Miscellaneous . 
LIV. — ^What Mexico needs 



PAGB 

122 
122-124 

124 
124-125 
125-126 
126-127 
127-129 

129 
129-130 
130-131 
131-134 
134-137 
137-139 
139-140 
140-143 
143-146 



PART SECOND. 

SECTION PAGB 

I. — How to reach Mexico ..... 147-159 

How to reach the Country .... 147 

Route I. — New York to Vera Cruz by Steamer . . 147-152 

Vera Cruz .... 152-154 

Jalapa ..... 154-155 

Route II. — ^New York to New Orleans by Rail, thence by 

Steamer to Vera Cruz . . 156-158 

Matamoros, Tampico, Tuxpan . . 157 

Route III. — ^New York to Laredo or El Paso, Texas, by Rail 158-159 

II. — The Mexican Railway Company from Vera Cruz to Mexico . 160-174 

From Vera Cruz to Orizaba .... 160-163 

Orizaba . . . . . > . 163-165 

From Orizaba to Esperanza .... 165-169 

From Esperanza to Puebla via Apizaco . . . 169-170 

Puebla 171-173 

From Puebla to the City of Mexico . . . 173-174 

III.— The City of Mexico and Environs . . . 175-201 

Hotels, Restaurants, Theatres, Carriages, Banks, Soci- 
eties, etc., etc. . . . . . 175-176 

History of Tenochtitlan .... 176-179 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



SECTION 


PAGE 


Places of Interest ..... 


. 182-194 


Excurgions around the Capital 


196-201 


San Juan Teotihuacan .... 


196 


Pachuca ..... 


196-197 


Cuernavaca ..... 


. 199-200 


rV. — The Mexican National Kail way . 


202-253 


Route I. — From the City of Mexico to Manzanillo . 


. 202-236 


Mexico to Toluca . 


202-205 


Toluca . . 


. 205-206 


Toluca to Maravatio 


206-209 


Maravatio to Morelia . . . 


. 210-211 


Acambaro. 


210 


Morelia . , . . 


. 211-215 


Morelia to Patzcuaro and thence to 


Man- 


zanillo 


215-220 


Patzcuaro via Ario to Jorullo 


. 220-236 


Acapulco .... 


236 


Route II. — ^From the City of Mexico to Laredo and Corpus 


Christi .... 


. 237-253 


Mexico to Celaya . 


237 


Celaya to San Luis Potosi 


237 


San Luis Potosi . 


237-240 


San Luis Potosi to Saltillo 


. 240-245 


Saltillo . . 


245 


Saltillo to Monterey . 


. 246-247 


Monterey .... 


248-249 


Monterey to Laredo . 


. 249-252 


New Laredo 


252 


Laredo .... 


. 252-253 


Laredo to Corpus Christi . 


253 


V. — The Mexican Central Railway 


. 254-289 


Route I. — ^From the City of Mexico to Zacatecas 


254-280 


Mexico to Queretaro . 


. 254-260 


The Canal of Huehuetoca 


255-258 


Queretaro .... 


. 260-263 


Queretaro to Guanajuato . 


263-269 


Silao .... 


264 


Guanajuato 


265-269 


Guanajuato to Lagos . 


. 269-290 


Lagos to Guadalajara and San Bias 


270-273 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



XI 



SECTION 


PAGE 


Lagos to Zacatecas . . 


. 2'73-276 


Aguascalientes 


273 


La Quemada 


274 


Zacatecas 


276-278 


Durango .... 


279 


Zacatecas to San Luis Potosi 


280 


Route II. — El Paso to Chihuahua 


. 280-284 


Chihuahua 


284-285 


Chihuahua to Jimenez 


. 285-288 


List of Ranches 


288 


VI. — The International and Interoceanic Railway 


290 


VII.— The Mexican Southern Railroad 


291-297 


Northern Division .... 


. 291-293 


Southern Division .... 


293-297 


Oaxaca and Mitla .... 


295. 


VIIL— The Morelos Railway .... 


298-304 


Mexico to Cuautla . . . . 


. 298-303 


Amecameca and Popocatepetl 


299-303 


Cuautla to Acapulco .... 


. 303-304 


IX. — The Tehuantepec Railroad 


305-310 


X. — The Sonora Railway .... 


. 309-315 


XI. — The American and Mexican Pacific Railway . 


316-318 


XII. — The New York, Texas, and Mexican Railroad 


. 319-322 


XIII. — The Mexican International Railroad . 


323 


XIV. — The Sinaloa and Durango Railroad 


. 324-325 


XV.— Table of Distances .... 


326 


XVI. — Guatemala ...... 


. 327-343 


Geography ..... 


327-335 


Miscellaneous ..... 


. 335-338 


Route I. — Tonala, Mexico, to San Jose de Guatema 


la 338 


Route II. — San Jose to New Guatemala . 


339 


Guatemala 


339-341 


Old Guatemala 


. 342-343 


Appendix ...... 


345-378 


Language ...... 


. 345-358 


Vocabulary ..... 


358-378 



ILLIISTRATIOIS'S, 



PAKT FIRST 



Scene in Mexico . . . . 

Mexican Table-land . 

Aztec Temple . . . . 

Toltec Palace at Tula 

The Cathedral of Mexico . 

Longitudinal View of Timbered Level 

The Peak of Orizaba 

The Axolotl .... 

Cochineal Insects on Branch of Cactus . 

Indigo Plant (Anil) . 

Brazil-Wood, Leaves, Flower, and Fruit . 

The Vanilla Plant . 

India-Rubber Plant [Huh) 

The Coffee Plant . 

Cocoanut Palm . . . . 

Mexican Porters 

Pulque Tlachiquero 



PAGE 

. 26 

28 
. 44 

48 
. TO 

80 
. 84 

87 
. 88 

90 
. 91 

92 
. 93 

96 

. 98 

109 

. 113 



PART SECOND. 



A Tropical Jungle . 

Jalapa .... 

A Mexican Canon . 

The Pineapple Plant 

Cut showing Zones of Vegetation 

The Nopal 

Popocatepetl 



150 
154 
159 
162 
167 
70 
72 



XIV 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



The Volcanoes of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl 

Plaza Mayor, Mexico 

Quetzalcoatl 

Feathered Serpent . 

Teoyaomiqui 

The Noche-triste Tree 

The Aqueduct and Fountain, Mexico 

Pyramids of San Juan Teotihuacan 

Silver-Mill, Pachuca 

Indian Hut in the Tierra Caliente 

City of Colima . 

Manzanillo Bay 

A Pack-Train 

Jorullo 

Interior of a Modern Mexican House 

Yucca-Tree . 

Scene on the Northern Plateau 

Varieties of Cactus 

The Cut of Nochistongo 

Plaza de Armas, Guadalajara 

Making Tequila 

Euins of Quemada 

Church and Plaza, El Paso 

Janos, Chihuahua . 

Casas Grandes, Chihuahua 

Aqueduct and Church of Santa Rita, Chihuahua 

La Punta de Sauz Cienega 

Chiricahui Mountains 

Scene in Northern Mexico 

Victoria and Tula Pass . . 

Scene in Mexico 

Gathering Cochineal, Mexico 

Acapulco .... 

Tree-Fern .... 

A Scene on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec 

Fronteras, Sonora . 

Magdalena .... 

Arispe .... 

Defile in the Guadalupe Pass, Sierra Madre 

The Pitahaya 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



XV 



A Mexican Hacienda 

Scene on the Sonora River 

Map of Guatemala . . . . 

Native of Mixco .... 

Volcan de Agua, Old Guatemala 

The Plaza, Quezaltenango 

General View of the City of Quezaltenango 

The National Institute, Guatemala 

The Government Building, Quezaltenango . 

The National Theatre, Guatemala 

The Cathedral, Guatemala . 

The Plaza, Old Guatemala 

The Penitentiary, Quezaltenango 



PAGE 

321 
. 325 

328 
. 329 

331 
. 832 

334 
. 336 

337 
. 340 

341 
. 342 

343 



PAET FIEST. 
GENEEAL II^fFOEMATIOH". 



I. 
Traveling in Hexico. 

HIITTS. 

The reader will generally find railway fares, hotel 
charges, tariffs for hacks, etc. , given in the body of the 
Guide-Book, but a few words may be of use at the outset. 

The cost of trayeling by rail in Mexico is considerably 
higher than in the Northern and Eastern States of the 
American Republic. (For table of fares, see chapter on 
railroads.) 

There are first, second, and third class cars on the rail- 
roads. At present (1883), traveling in Mexico is as safe as 
in the western part of the United States. There are no 
brigands on the stage-roads any longer, except in the States 
of Jalisco and Sinaloa. It is well, however, to go armed, 
and to keep your fire-arms in sight. Escorts of mounted 
guards called the Guardia Rural accompany the diligences. 
Train-robberies are thus far unknown. The traveler is ad- 
vised to take as little baggage as possible, as the railroads 
only allow 15 kilogrammes (33 pounds), and the diligences 
one arroba (25 pounds). The rates for extra baggage are 
I 



2 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

Yery high. Wraps and hand-bags, carried into the passen- 
ger-cars, are, of course, free of charge. Passengers must 
purchase tickets before their baggage can be checked. 
They will receive a paper check with a number correspond- 
ing to that of a label pasted on the trunk or valise. Wells, 
Fargo & Co. have established express agencies in the Eepub- 
lic, and there are baggage-express companies in Puebla and 
Mexico. In the large cities, coaches do not meet trains on 
arrival as in the United States, but horse-cars usually pass : 
the doors of the hotels. Hacks are common, and can be 
hired to the hotel at an average price of four reales. 
Diligence-drivers and railroad-porters do not expect fees. 
Carry soap and matches with you. The natives make ex- 
cellent wax-matches called cerillos, which are sold at one 
centavo a box. As regards clothing, the tourist does not 
require as thick garments on the coast as upon the table- 
land. Woolen under-clothing should be worn all the year 
round on the tierra fria, and for three quarters of the year 
in the temperate zone. A Mexican blanket, or zarape, will 
be found very useful for the tourist, in addition to a cloak 
or overcoat. It can be put on the bed at night and will 
serve as a wrap in the diligences. A linen duster is of 
great service in the dry season. On first reaching Mexico, 
care should be taken to avoid exposure to the direct rays of 
the sun. Although sunstrokes are very rare, yet headache 
or fever comes from a strong sun, until the tourist has be- 
come acclimated. Solar hats should be worn in the sum- 
mer season. Keep out of the night air at first. There is 
a great difference between the temperature in the sun and 
in the shade on the table-land. Tourists should accord- 
ingly be careful to avoid taking cold. The facilities for 
washing clothes in Mexican cities are very poor, and it is 
advisable to have several changes of linen, so as not to be 
detained in a place on account of being obliged to wait for 
one's clean garments. 



TEA YELING IN MEXICO. 



When to travel. 



Owing to the configuration of the country, it is impor- 
tant that the tourist should select the proper seasons for 
traveling in the different zones. 

The best time for yisiting the tierra caliente, or hot 
land, south of latitude 22 degrees, is in the winter months. 
Northers blow from November to March, thus cooling the 
atmosphere ; and the vo^nito, or yellow fever, rarely breaks 
out during this period. Tourists had better visit Vera Oruz 
in winter, if possible. 

The tierra templada, or temperate zone, and the table- 
land, may be frequented at any season, although the winter 
climate of the former is somewhat preferable. 

If the tourist wishes to avoid the clouds of dust that 
rise on the great plateau of Mexico, he should travel in the 
rainy season, i. e., June to September. However, as many 
parts of Mexico can only be reached by the diligence lines 
(excepting on horseback), it is proper to state that both the 
summer and winter months have their advantages and dis- 
advantages. In the rainy season the air is delightful, but 
the roads are in such a condition, owing to the very heavy 
showers, that they are often almost impassable. Sometimes 
the stage-coach will sink into the soft mud of the highway, 
so as to render it impossible to proceed. In such a case, 
the coachman will walk to the nearest hacienda and borrow 
a yoke of oxen to aid the mules in dragging the vehicle 
upon firm ground. These occurrences may cause a delay 
of several hours. In some places the road will be flooded 
for perhaps a quarter of a mile, and in crossing such a 
spot the diligence is occasionally imbedded in the yielding 
soil to an extent that makes further progress utterly im- 
practicable, and the passengers may be compelled to spend 
the night in the coach. This latter event occurs only in 
a mountainous region. In short, the traveler can not 



4 GENERAL INFORMATION 

always make sure connections by diligence in the summer 
season. 

Furthermore, the country is very sparsely settled. Vil- 
lages where the tourist can obtain food and lodging are few 
and far between. As the stage-coach oftentimes fails to 
reach the "regular" stopping-place of the route during 
the day's journey, these facts should be borne in mind ; 
and passengers are advised to carry provisions with them 
while traveling by diligence in the rainy season. 

On the other hand, the dust rising in clouds, which 
often envelop the vehicle so that the surrounding country 
is invisible for a few moments, constitutes the only draw- 
back to traveling by diligence in the dry season. The pas- 
sengers are certain to arrive on time, unless delayed by 
some accident. Invalids intending to winter in Mexico, 
should spend several days near the coast or in the tierra 
templada, before exposing themselves to the rarefied atmos- 
phere of the table-land. 

How to travel. 

Unless the tourist is familiar with Spanish, he is strong- 
ly advised not to travel alone in Mexico. Large parties 
are not recommended, owing to the small number of bed- 
rooms in the hotels, and the limited capacity of the dili- 
gences. As a rule, the latter are run only three times a 
week, and the seats axe frequently engaged for days in 
advance. lN"either have the companies more vehicles to 
" put on " when the regular coach is filled with passen- 
gers. Occasionally the stranger will be obliged to spend 
two or three days in some uninteresting town while wait- 
ing for transportation. 

As yet there are no professional couriers, but they will 
doubtless make their appearance before long. 

In visiting the mining districts lying remote from cities, 
and in ascending the snow-clad mountains, a mozo, or ser- 



TRAVELING IN MEXICO. 5 

vant, should accompany the tourist. He will make himself 
generally useful, and his wages should not exceed one dol- 
lar a day. 

The following lists of short trips in Mexico are so ar- 
ranged as to allow the traveler to see as much as possible in 
a giyen space of time : 

Route I. 

Vera Cruz to Cordoba ^ day. 

In Cordoba 1 do. 

To Orizaba and remain there 1 do. 

To Puebla i do. 

In Puebla 1^ do. 

To Mexico City ^ do 

In Mexico 4 days. 

Return to Vera Cruz 1 day. 

Total 10 days. 

Route II. 

Vera Cruz to Puebla 1 day. 

In Puebla 1 do. 

To Mexico City ^ do. 

In Mexico City 1|^ do. 

Return to Vera Cruz 1 do. 

Total 5 days. 

Route III. 

First part same as Route II 5 days. 

Mexico to Maravatio 1 day. 

Maravatio to Celaya 1 do. 

Celaya to Queretaro 1 do. 

Queretaro to Mexico 1 do. 

Total 9 days. 

Route IV. 

Same as Route III, with the addition of 2 days, from 

Celaya to the mines of Guanajuato and return. . 11 days. 



6 GENERAL INFORMATION; 

A71 '^Agricultural Tri2J. 

Supposing the traveler to be in the national capital, a 
visit should be made to Queretaro and Lagos by rail ; then 
to Guadalajara by diligence ; thence to Uruapan by dili- 
gence and horseback ; thence to Patzcuaro by horseback, 
and diligence to Morelia ; return to Mexico by rail via Mara- 
vatio and Toluca. 

A " Mining " Trip. 

Starting from the City of Mexico, let the tourist make 
an excursion to the town of Pachuca by rail and tramway, 
and then return to the capital. Then go by rail to Guana- 
juato and Zacatecas ; thence by diligence to Fresnillo, Som- 
brerete, or Durango. One can then reach the Mexican Cen- 
tral Eailway at the nearest point, and visit Chihuahua, ar 
return to the southern part of the Eepublic. The mining 
towns just mentioned are the most accessible, although 
by no means the only places worthy of the attention of the 
scientific traveler. 

The Cost of Travel, 

If the tourist intends to move about a great deal, he 
will have to spend at least forty dollars a week. If, on 
the other hand, he wishes to linger in the cities and stay at 
the best hotels, twenty dollars a week will cover the cost of 
living outside of the capital. 

One month's trip from New York to Mexico and return, 
by steamer, will cost about $225. The same tour via New 
Orleans by rail, thence to Vera Cruz and return by steamer, 
will cost about $300. The expense of a journey from New 
York to Laredo, Texas, by rail, thence by rail to Saltillo, 
by stage-coach to Queretaro, and rail to the City of Mexico, 
will be about $175, including sleeping-car fares, meals, and 
lodging at the diligence taverns. 



TRAVELING IN MEXICO, 



KAILEOADS. 



The great desideratum in Mexico has always been cheap 
and rapid transportation. For many years communication 
between the yarious towns could only be had by means of 
carts and on horseback. At length a system of diligences 
was established, which of course was only adapted to carry- 
ing passengers. The first line of railroad — that of the Mexi- 
can Eailway Company, connecting the city of Vera Cruz 
with the national capital — was begun in 1837. On Sep- 
tember 16, 1869, the branch of this road from Mexico to 
Puebla, a distance of 115f miles, was opened with great 
pomp and ceremony. Trains commenced running on the 
division between Orizaba and Vera Cruz on September 5, 
1872, and the entire route was completed on January 17, 
1873. 

The Mexican Government, in September, 1880, granted 
charters to the Mexican Central Eailway Company and to 
the Mexican National Construction Company, and in June, 
1881, to the International and Interoceanic Eailway Com- 
pany. These corporations are the three great American 
trunk-lines of Mexico. In May, 1881, a concession was 
obtained by General U. S. Grant for a road to be known 
as the Mexican Southern Eailroad. 

The charters generally run for a term of ninety-nine 
years, at the end of which the roads revert to the Govern- 
ment. If the latter decides to sell or lease the lines, the 
companies are to be entitled to the preference. 

The Government, since 1877, has issued charters to the 
several States, and to various individuals, for the construc- 
tion of other railroads in the interior of the country. 
But none of these roads is of sufficient importance to merit 
an extended notice here, and many of the grantees have 
forfeited their charters for failure to complete their lines 
within the specified time. 



8 GENERAL INFORMATIOK 

The Liberal party in Mexico, who haye recently come 
into power, belieye that the development of the immense 
mineral and agricultural resources of the country can only 
be accomplished by the construction of railroads. Accord- 
ingly, haying but little public land to grant for this pur- 
pose, the Goyernment pays subsidies,* with the object of 
encouraging both natives and foreigners to build railways. 
These subventions, as they are called, vary from $6,500 to 
$9,500 per kilometre, and are supposed to amount to about 
one third of the cost of the roads. They now reach a total 
of about $7,000,000 annually. 

A subsidy of $560,000 a year is given to the Mexican 
Eailway, which is the only completed line in the Ee- 
public. It must not be assumed, however, that these sub- 
ventions are paid in money. Eevenue bonds are issued 
without interest, and an amount, varying from 4 to 6 per 
cent of the customs duties, is set aside for their redemp- 
tion. 

The American trunk-lines extend from the Eio Grande 
to the City of Mexico. A branch of one of them, i. e., the 
Mexican Central Eailroad, is being built across the country 
from the Gulf to the Pacific Ocean. Another branch, that 
of the Mexican National Eailway, is already finished for 
nearly one half of the distance between the capital and 
Manzanillo, the terminus of this division. This company 
has lately consolidated all its concessions under the law of 
January 11, 1883. 

The Morelos Eailway is expected to be continued to 
Acapulco, and the Tehuantepec Eailroad will soon reach 
the Pacific coast. (See Sections VIII and IX.) 

Hence, it will be seen that in the course of a few years 
three lines of railway will connect the capital with the 
United States, and four roads will traverse the Eepublic 

* The total amount of railroad subsidies granted by the Mexican Gov- 
emment is given in round numbers at $90,000,000. 



TRAVELma IN MEXICO. 

from east to west, tlius establishing communication be- 
tween the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Ocean. Another 
line is being built from Altata to Culiacan, and thence to 
Durango. 

None of the trains on the various railroads, as a rule, 
carry escorts or guards, except the Mexican Eailway. A 
special car is provided on the latter for a squad of Fed- 
eral soldiers. Occasionally the Mexican National Eailway 
Company will send several guards on the pay-car, or on 
a train that transports an enormous amount of coin and 
bullion. 

The plan of building railways in Mexico has been to 
work from each end toward a middle point. This method 
proved very expensive to the Mexican road, but it is found 
expedient in the construction of the American trunk-lines. 
The latter rarely pass through the cities and towns along 
the route, as the inhabitants prefer to keep the railroad- 
track at a considerable distance. At Monterey the station 
is one and a half miles from the city. 

With the exception of the Mexican National Eailway 
and the Morelos Eailway (the latter being owned by Mexi- 
cans), the standard gauge has been adopted on the princi- 
pal lines of the country. These two roads are constructed 
of the narrow gauge {via angosta), which is thought to 
be well adapted to the wants of the region traversed by 
them. 

Mexico derives two great benefits from the construction 
of railroads — ^viz., in giving employment to a great many 
people, it produces a peaceful effect on them ; and, in case 
of a revolution, the Government can send troops to the seat 
of war within a few hours. 

The following table of charges for the transportation of 
freight and passengers on the trunk-lines will be found 
useful : 



10 



GENERAL INFORMATION, 



IHEIGHT PER TON FOR EACH KILOMETRE. 



EOADS. 



Mexican Central Eailroad 

Mexican National Railway 

International and Interoceanic Railway 

* Mexican Southern Railroad 

\ Mexican Railway 



First 


Second 


class. 


class. 


Cents. 


Cents. 


6 


4 


4 


3 


10 


7 


10 


n 


13 


8 



Third 

class. 



Cents. 
2i 
2 
5 
5 

9 



PASSENGER RATES PER KILOMETRE. • 



EOADS. 



Mexican Central Eailroad 

Mexican National Railway 

International and Interoceanic Railway 

Mexican Southern Railroad 

Mexican Railway 

Morelos Railway 



First 


Second 


class. 


class. 


Cents. 


Cents. 


3 


2 


2i 


2 


7 


5 


7 


5 


Q 77 

"100 


2 tQ 


H 


1 



Third 

class. 



Cents. 

H 
1 

3 
3 
1 71 

■••100 



Local fares are generally higher. As before stated, 15 
kilogrammes (33 pounds) of baggage are allowed to each 
passenger. The rates for extra baggage are exorbitant. 

Coal and fire-wood are very dear and scarce along the 
lines of the principal railroads. The deposits of the former 
that occnr in Mexico are generally found at a gi'eat distance 
from the railways, while the timber growing in the adjoin- 
ing regions is being rapidly cut down to be used for sleepers. 
The Mexican Eailway Company imports compressed-coal 
cakes from England, as fuel for its engines. 

The rolling stock and permanent way of the trunk-lines 
may be concisely described as follows : 

The locomotives and cars of the Mexican Central Eail- 

* The Mexican Southern Railroad Company is allowed to charge \ cent 
more for coal per ton than the International Railroad. 
\ Railroad-iron costs $55 a ton for 263 miles. 



TEA YELING IN MEXICO. \\ 

road are of American manufacture. There are very few 
bridges and tunnels along the line. The maximum grade 
is three feet per hundred. The higher officials, conduc- 
tors, and engineers are mostly Americans, while natives 
are employed as ticket-agents, baggage-masters, and brake- 
men. 

The company owns a telegraph line. 

The Mexican National Eailway belongs, as above stated, 
to the narrow-gauge system. The locomotives and cars are 
made in the United States. The southern division has sev- 
eral tunnels and many bridges, some of which are of con- 
siderable dimensions, while the main line, north of Celaya, 
will traverse a flat table-land, without any heavy grades or 
bridges, except in the vicinity of Saltillo. The company 
has erected a bridge across the Rio Grande, which is de- 
scribed in Section IV. The heaviest grade amounts to 
three and four fifths feet per hundred, and is found near 
the summit of the Toluca division. A telegraph line has 
been built by the company, but the Government reserves 
the right to put up a wire for its own use on the poles. 

Both of the American companies just mentioned have 
time-tables printed in English and Spanish, and their ticket- 
agents can generally speak both languages. 
V The Mexican Railway Company has imported most of 
its rolling-stock from England. The first-class carriages 
are built in the English style, with compartments, while 
the second and third class cars are on the American plan. 
The engineers are sent out from England and have charge 
of the train, whereas the conductors are merely ticket-col- 
lectors. Erench or German, besides Spanish, is spoken by 
the latter. There are many bridges and tunnels along the 
line, the former being made of iron resting on stone piers. 
The grades are very heavy between the stations of La Sole- 
dad and Esperanza, the maximum being four feet in a hun- 
dred. Owing to the great engineering difficulties, and to 



12 GENERAL INFORMATION: 

the unsettled condition of the country during the period 
of construction, the main line cost $30,000,000. — 

The company's telegraph is described in Section 11. 

No rolling-stock has yet been purchased by the Mexican 
Southern Eailroad, or by the International and Interoceanic 
Eailway. So little work on these two lines has been done 
that a description of the permanent way would be prema- 
ture. 

STEAMSHIPS. 

The majority of the steamships running to Mexico are 
owned and controlled by Americans. The Alexandre* line 
of steamers plies between New York and Vera Cruz, via 
Havana, and also between New Orleans and Vera Cruz. 
The Morgan line runs between New Orleans, Galveston, 
and Vera Cruz. The Pacific Mail steamers touch at all 
the ports on the Pacific coast, beginning with Mazatlan. 
There are two lines of coasting steamers on the Pacific, 
which run as far north as Guaymas. One of them is owned 
by a Mexican, and the other belongs to an American. Small 
steamships sail from Matamoros (Bagdad) down the Gulf of 
Mexico, calling at Tampico, Tuxj)an, Vera Cruz, Frontera, 
Campeche, Progreso, and intermediate ports. (For particu- 
lars as to time of sailing, fares, etc., see advertisements.) 

Some capitalists in Mexico have recently organized a 
company, and have ordered six iron steamers, each of four 
thousand tons burden, which are to be run between Eng- 
land and Italy and Vera Cruz. Its title is the Mexican 
Transatlantic Steamship Company. One of the steamers 
is to be called the Estado de Tamaulipas, in compliment 
to President Gonzalez, and another the Estado de Oaxaca, 
in honor of General Diaz. The steamers will cost at least 
$700,000 each, and the engines will be of five hundred 

* This line receives a subsidy of $2,000 per round trip from the Mexi- 
can Government. 



TRAVELING IN MEXICO. 13 

horse-power. It is expected that some of the ships will be 
completed and begin running within a year. They are to 
be constructed by the builders of the well-known ocean- 
steamers Servia and Britannic^ which run between New 
York and Liverpool, and are expected to have a speed of 
sixteen knots per hour. 

DILIGENCES. 

The diligence system, or diligencias generales, was estab- 
lished in Mexico about fifty years ago. The central office 
is in the capital, and coaches are run from Cuernayaca on 
the south, to Durango and San Luis Potosi on the north. 
Other lines connect the latter town with Monterey, and 
also bring Durango in communication with Chihuahua. 
The smaller diligences that are driven between the towns 
lying beyond the routes of the ^^ general" system are called 
diligencias particulares. 

The coaches are built in Mexico, after the ^^ Concord" 
pattern. They soon wear out, owing to the rough pave- 
ments of the streets, and the bad condition of the roads. 
Each stage-coach has one and often two whippers besides 
the driver. The whipper will often descend from the box 
while the diligence is in motion, and run ahead, in order 
to strike the forward mules. When on the box he throws 
stones at the leaders. The coachmen generally drive in a 
very skillful manner, and are polite in their deportment to- 
ward the passengers. 

Eight mules are attached to each vehicle in the dry sea- 
son, and nine in the rainy season. They are arranged as 
follows : two wheelers and two leaders, with four animals 
abreast in between. Most of the diligences have accommo- 
dation for nine persons inside and three outside. The in- 
side is called el interior, and the outside el pescante. A 
few of these vehicles have broader seats, so as to make room 
for twelve passengers within. 



14 GENEBAL INFORMATION, 

Travelers in the pescante sliould be on the lookout for 
the large lamps that are hung on wires across the streets, at 
a height barely sufficient to allow the diligence to clear them 
while passing under. 

On the long trips the diligences generally start at 4 A. m., 
but occasionally not till 5 and 6 A. m. About 80 miles are 
traveled daily, which occupies from twelve to fifteen hours, 
according to the condition of the roads. It should be re- 
marked, that not more than two or three diligence-roads in 
the whole country are kept in repair, and the shaking and 
jolting to which the tourist is subjected are exceedingly dis- 
agreeable. Experienced Mexican travelers are able to sleep 
in the diligence during the early morning, but this is sel- 
dom the case with the stranger. 

On the arrival at the terminus of the day's journey, a 
crowd of porters and vagrants surround the vehicle, and 
importune the passengers to allow them to carry their 
baggage. A fee of 6 J cents {un medio) is sufficient for 
the transportation of a valise for a distance of two or three 
squares. 

Two dollars is the usual charge at the diligence taverns 
for supper, lodging, and breakfast. The price for lunch 
varies from 25 cents to 75 cents. Passenger fares range 
from 6 to 10 cents a mile. One arroba (25 pounds) of bag- 
gage is carried free, but the rates for additional weight are 
very high. Bundles of shawls and small boxes held in the 
hand are not charged for. 

Hacks may be hired for moderate distances, but posting 
is rare in the country. 

HOKSE-CAKS. 

Tramways have been built in almost every city in Mex- 
ico. In many cases tracks have been laid to villages 10 and 

15 miles distant, and a few horse-car roads connect stations 
on the railways with towns 30, 40, and even 60 miles off. 



TRAYELING IN MEXICO, 15 

The longest tramway is from Vera Cruz to Jalapa, a dis- 
tance of 76 miles. In general the horse-car tracks are well 
laid out, and a locomotive and train of cars may run on 
them at some future time. It is said that engines will soon 
be put on the tramways from Vera Cruz to Jalapa, and 
from Puebla to Matamoros. There are both passenger and 
freight horse-cars in the Eepublic, the former being divided 
into first and second class. 

"^ nOESES AKD MULES. 

Excepting the road built by Cortes from Vera Cruz to 
the capital, all communication between the cities and towns 
of Mexico was for many years made on horseback. This 
mode of traveling is still common in the rural districts. 
Tourists occasionally make trips, with a few pack-animals 
to carry baggage and provisions, in the remote parts of 
the Republic. Regular pack-trains of mules and lurros, or 
donkeys, are run on the western coast. Horses are com- 
monly fed on straw and corn. A good animal may be pur- 
chased for 150, and one able to make a short journey, for 
$20. Mules can be bought for about $30. ^ If the tourist 
intends making a trip on horseback for ten days or longer, 
we would recommend him to purchase a horse instead of 
hiring one. These animals are always in demand, and can 
be sold at a slight loss on the completion of the journey. 
The average price for a saddle-horse is $1 per diem. In the 
larger cities the charge will be a little more. 

Pedestrianism in Mexico is thus far unknown, except- 
ing in the ascents of the lofty volcanoes. 

EXPKESS. 

Wells, Fargo & Co. have established express agencies 
at the following places in the Republic : Mexico (city) ; 
Tula ; San Juan del Rio ; Queretaro ; Celaya ; Salamanca ; 
Irapuato ; Silao ; Guanajuato ; Leon ; Lagos \ Vera Cruz ; 



16 GENERAL INFORMATIOK 

Chihuahua (city) ; and in the principal ports on the Pacific 
coast of Mexico. 

Messrs. Wells, Fargo & Co. also carry a large amount 
of mail matter from these ports to San Francisco and to 
New York. 

II. 
History. 

It would be foreign to the aim of this guide-book to 
giye a complete history of Mexico from the earliest times 
to the present day. "We will confine ourselves chiefly to 
the chronology of the country. 

The early history of Mexico is involved in great obscu- 
rity. The traditions of the aborigines are so fabulous as 
barely to deserve mention. 

Picture-writings, mostly on cloth made from the maguey 
fiber, afford the principal means of investigating the origin 
of the primitive races. Unfortunately, nearly all of these 
historical illustrations were burned by order of the Spanish 
bishop Zumarraga, at the time of the Conquest. A few of 
them remain in Mexico, principally in the museum at the 
capital, and several have found their way to the libraries of 
Europe. 

According to an old painting, on maguey cloth, in pos- 
session of a resident of Uruapan, in the State of Michoacan, 
this country was settled by Indians, who came out of an 
immense cave and traveled over the realm on the backs of 
turtles, founding cities and towns wherever they went. 

Very little is known of the ancient history of Mexico, 
but, according to the best authorities — 

The Toltecs appeared in 648 a. d. 

The Chichimecs appeared in 1170 A. D. 

The Nahualtecs appeared in 1178 A. d. 

The Acolhuans and Aztecs appeared in 1196 A. D. 



HISTORY. lY 

There is a strong similarity of languages among all of 
these races. The Aztecs, according to Prescott, reckoned 
their calendar from a date corresponding to 1091 A. D. 
They divided the year into eighteen months of twenty 
days each, with fiye days added. Some writers believe 
the Toltecs to be the mound-builders of North Amer- 
ica, but it is impossible to learn- the names of their sov- 
ereigns in Mexico. The list of Chichimecan kings is as 
follows : 

Xolotl began to reign in the twelfth century. 

Nopaltzin began to reign in the thirteenth century. 

Tlotzin began to reign in the fourteenth century. 

Quinatzin began to reign in the fourteenth century. 

Tecotlalla began to reign in the fourteenth century. 

Ixtlilochitl began to reign in the year 1406. 

Nezahualcoyotl began to reign in the year 1426. 

Nezahualpilli began to reign in the year 1470. 

Cacamatzin began to reign in the year 1516. 

Cuicuitzcatzin began to reign in the year 1520. 

Coanacotzin began to reign in the year 1520. 

We are not aware that any author has given a chrono- 
logical account of the other primitive races. 

The Aztecs called the country Anahuac; and the capital 
TenocMitlan, which occupied the present site of the City 
of Mexico. They lived in barbaric pomp and Oriental 
splendor. Their kings and princes wore the most gorgeous 
dresses and costly jewels. (Their palaces and temples are 
described in the chapter on ruins.) 

The reign of the Montezumas began about the year 
1460. At the time of the arrival of the Spaniards, Monte- 
zuma II was on the throne. Authentic Mexican history 
really dates from the year 1517, when the Spanish naviga- 
tors began to explore the New World. The dates of the 
principal events during the domination of the Spaniards 
are as follows : 



18 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

Feb. 28, 1517. Cordova discovered Yucatan, landing at Cape Catoche. 

May 3, 1518. Grijalva landed on the Isle of Cozumel, and called Yucatan 
" New Spain." 

June 19, 1518. Grijalva landed at the mouth of the Rio Tabasco, and, sail- 
ing up the Gulf coast, reached the Rio Panuco, afterward 
returning to Cuba. He was the first Spanish navigator 
who set foot on Mexican soil, and opened intercourse 
with the Aztecs. 

April 21, 1519. Cortes landed at Vera Cruz, and soon marched toward the 
City of Mexico, building a wagon-road thither. 

Nov. 8, 1519. The Spaniards enter the ancient capital. 

June 30, 1520. Death of Montezuma. 

July 1, 1520. The Spaniards evacuate the capital — nocTie triste. 

July 8, 1520. The battle of Otumba. 

May 30, 1521. The siege of the City of Mexico begins. 

Aug. 13, 1521. Surrender of the capital to Cortes. 

1528. First audiencia inaugurated with Nuno de Guzman, Presi- 
dent. 
1535. Mint founded in Mexico. 
1535. Rule of the viceroys began. 

There were sixty-four yiceroys in two hundred and 
eighty-six years, i. e., up to 1821. All of them were Eu- 
ropeans except one, Juan de Acuna (1722-'34), who was 
born in Peru. They were endowed with royal prerogatives. 
During the vice-kingdom, Mexico was treated by Spain in 
the same manner as the English governed the United States 
before the American Ee volution. In other words, there 
were great restrictions on commerce and agriculture. For- 
eign ships were not allowed to enter the ports. Learning 
was discouraged. The first and most prominent viceroy 
was Aktoitio de Meis^doza (1535-'50). 

Many reforms and discoveries were made during his 
administration. Next to him, Pacheco (1789-'94) became 
most famous. 

Some of the other viceroys were — Velasco, Alamanza, 
Montesclaros, Salinas (who began the canal of Huehuetoca, 
in 1607), Villena, Guelves, Ceralvo, Monclova, De Croix, 



HISTORY. 19 

Monterey, Iturrigaray, Bucareli, and Juan O'Donoju, who 
was the last one. 

1536. Cortes discovered Lower California. 

Dec. 2, 1554. Cortes died in Spain. 

1810. Hidalgo and Morelos, two curates, declare against the Span- 
ish domination. A revolution follows, the army of the 
former is defeated, and — 

July 31, 1811, Hidalgo is executed in Chihuahua. The war of independ- 
ence lasted about ten years. The principal patriots 
were Allende, Abasolo, and Aldama, besides Hidalgo and 
Morelos. States have been named after the last two 
heroes, and towns bear the names of the others. 

Aug. 23, 1821. Mexico became independent by the treaty of Aquala. 

1821. Agustin Iturbide, President of a provisional Junta; Mexi- 
co formed into an empire ; the crown declined by Spain. 

May 19, 1822. Iturbide proclaimed Emperor. 

Dec. 2, 1822. The Republic proclaimed at Vera Cruz. 

Mar. 26, 1823. Iturbide compelled to abdicate. 
1823. Provisional government. 

July 19, 1824. Iturbide went to England ; returns and endeavors to recover 
his dignity, but is shot near Tampico. 

Oct. 4, 1824. First Constitution established, which is similar to that of the 
United States of America. The President must be native- 
born, and holds office for a term of four years. The 
President, national delegates, governors of the several 
States, and their deputies, are elected by the people. The 
power of the Mexican Government consists of the execu- 
tive, legislative, and judiciary. 

April, 1825. Commercial treaty with Great Britain. 
1825, Guadalupe Victoria, first President. 

1828. Gomez Pedraza becomes next President. 

1829. The United States recognizes the Mexican Republic. 
March, 1829. Expulsion of the Spaniards decreed. 

1829. Guerrero third President. 

Sept. 26, 1829. Spanish expedition against Mexico, surrendered. 
Dec. 23, 1829. Mexican revolution ; President Guerrero deposed. 

1830. Anastasio Bustamante, fourth President. 
Feb. 14, 1831. Guerrero executed. 

1833. Pedraza President again for a few weeks. 
April 1, 1833. Santa Anna, fifth President. 



20 GENERAL IFFORMATIOK 

Dec. 28, 1836. Independence of Mexico recognized by Spain. 

April 19, 1837. Bustamante again President. 

Nov. 30, 1838. Declaration of war against France. 

March 9, 1839. This war terminated. 

Mar. & July, " Santa Anna, revolutionary provisional President. 

1839. Nicolas Bravo, President for one week ; sixth President. 
184:l-'44. Santa Anna, Nicolas Bravo, and Canalizo, dictators. 

1844. Santa Anna, President for third time ; seventh President. 

Sept. 20, 1844. Canalizo, President for second time ; eighth President. 

June 4, 1845. War with the United States, growing out of the annexation 
of Texas. The question was a disputed boundary-line. 
Mexico claimed that the Nueces River was the frontier 
line, while the United States maintained that the Rio 
Grande was the proper boundary — Whence the war. Gen- 
eral Zachary Taylor began the hostilities on the side of 
the latter. 

Dec, 1845. Herrera becomes ninth President. 

1846. The Mexicans defeated at Palo Alto, May 8th ; and subse- 

quently at Matamoros. 
Aug. 22, 1846. Santa Fe captured. 
Sept. 24, 1846. Battle of Monterey. 

1847. Paredes, tenth President. 

Feb. 22, 1847. Battle of Buena Vista ; the Mexicans defeated by General 
Taylor, with great loss, after two days' fighting. Santa 
Anna commanded the former. 

March 9, 1847. Scott landed at Vera Cruz, and marched westward. 

April 18, 1847. The Americans, under General Scott, defeat the Mexicans 
under Santa Anna, making 6,000 prisoners. 

Sept. 14, 1847. Scott captured the City of Mexico. 

1848. Santa Anna, President fourth time ; eleventh President. 
May 19, 1848. Treaty between Mexico and the United States ratified. 

1850. Herrera, President second time ; twelfth President. 

1852. Arista, President; thirteenth President. 
Sept., 1852. Political convulsions, 

Jan. 6, 1853. President Arista resigns, and Santa Anna is invited to re- 
turn. 

1853. Santa Anna, President fifth time ; fourteenth President. 
Jan., 1855. He abdicates; Carrera elected President; fifteenth Presi- 
dent. 

Dec, 1855. Carrera also abdicates, and is succeeded by Alvarez. 
1855. Alvarez, President ; sixteenth President. 



HISTORY, 21 

Mar. 31, 1856. Property of the clergy sequestrated. 

Feb. 5, ISST. New Constitution. 

July, 185Y. Comonfort chosen President ; seventeenth President. 

Jan. 11, 1858. Coup d'etat ; Comonfort compelled to retire. 

Jan. 21-26, " General Zuloaga takes the government. 

Feb. 11, 1858. Benito Juarez declared constitutional President at Vera Cruz; 
eighteenth President. 

Aug. to Nov.," Civil war; several engagements. 

Jan. 6, 1859. General Miguel Miramon nominated President at Mexico by 
the Junta ; nineteenth President. 

Feb. 2, 1859. Zuloaga abdicates, 

Feb., 1859. In consequence of injury to British subjects, ships of war 
are sent to Mexico. 

April 10, 1859. Miramon forces the lines of the Liberal generals, enters the 
capital, assumes his functions as governor, and governs 
without respect to the laws of life and property. 

July 13, 1859. Juarez confiscates the Church property. 

Dec. 21, 1859. Miramon and the clerical party defeat the Liberals under 
Colima. 

Mar. 6, 1860. He besieges Vera Cruz; bombards it; March 21st, com- 
pelled to raise the siege. 

May 1, 1860. General Zuloaga deposes Miramon, and assumes the presi- 
dency; twentieth President. 

May 9, 1860. Miramon arrests Zuloaga; May 10th, the diplomatic bodies 
suspend official relations with the former. 

Aug. 10, 1860. Miramon defeated by Degollado. 

Oct., 1860. He governs Mexico with much tyranny ; the foreign minis- 
ters quit the City. 

Jan. 19, 1861. He is compelled to retire ; Juarez enters Mexico and is 
re-elected President ; twenty-first President. 

June 30, 1861. Juarez made dictator by the Congress. 

July 17, 1861. The Mexican Congress decides to suspend payments to for- 
eigners for two years — 

July 27, 1861. Which leads to the breaking off of diplomatic relations with 
England and France. 

Oct. 31, 1861. In consequence of many gross outrages on foreigners, the 
British, French, and Spanish Governments, after much 
vain negotiation, claiming efficient protection of for- 
eigners, and the payment of arrears due to fund-holders, 
sign a convention engaging to combine in hostile opera- 
tions against Mexico. 



Dec. 


8, 


1861. 


Dec. 


15, 


1861. 


Jan. 7, 8, 1862. 
Jan., 1862. 


Feb., 


» 


1862. 


Feb., 


» 


1862. 


Feb. 


19, 


1862. 



22 QENEEAL INFORMATIOK 

Spanish troops land at Vera Cruz; December lYth, it sur- 
renders. 
The Mexican Congress dissolves, after conferring full powers 

on the President. 
A British naval and French military expedition arrives. 
The Mexicans determine on resistance, and invest Vera 

Cruz ; their taxes are raised 25 per cent. 
Miramon arrives, but is sent back to Spain by the British 
admiral. 
1862. Project of establishing a Mexican monarchy for the Arch- 
duke Maximilian of Austria disapproved of by the British 
and Spanish Governments. 
Negotiation ensues between the Spaniards and Mexicans; 
convention between the commissaries of the alUes and 
the Mexican General Doblado at Soledad. 

March, 1862. The Mexican General Marquez takes up arms against Juarez, 
and General Almonte joins the French General Lorencez. 
Juarez demands a compulsory loan, and puts Mexico in a 
state of siege. 

April 9, 1862. Conference between plenipotentiaries of the allies at Ori- 
zaba; the English and Spaniards declare for peace, 
which is not agreed to by the French, who declare war 
against Juarez on April 16th. 

May, 1862. The Spanish and British forces retire ; the French Govern- 
ment sends re-enforcements to Lorencez. 

May 6, 1862, The French, induced by Marquez, advance into the interior ; 
severely repulsed by General Zaragoza, at Fort Guada- 
lupe, near Puebla. 

June 13, 14, " The French defeat the Mexicans at Cerro del Borrego, near 
Orizaba, ^ 

August, 1862. The Mexican Liberals said to be desirous of negotia- 
tion. 

Aug, 28, 1862. General Forey and 2,500 French soldiers land. 

Sept., 1862. Letter from the Emperor Napoleon to Lorencez, disclaiming 
any intention of imposing a government on Mexico, an- 
nounced. 

Sept. 8, 1862. Death of Zaragoza, a great loss to the Mexicans. 

Oct., 1862. General Forey deprives Almonte of the presidency at Vera 
Cruz, and appropriates the civil and military power to 
himself. 

Oct. 19, 1862. Ortega takes command of the Mexican army. 



HISTORY. 23 

Oct. 27, 1862. The Mexican Congress assembles, and protests against the 
French invasion. 

Jan. 13, 1863. The French evacuate Tampico. 

Feb. 24, 1863. Forey marches toward Mexico. 

Mar. 29, 1863. Siege of Puebla, bravely defended ; severe assault, March 
31st to April 3d. 

May 18, 1863. It is surrendered at discretion by Ortega. 

May 31, 1863. The Republican Government remove to San Luis Potosi. 

June 5, 1863. Mexico occupied by the French, under Bazaine. 

June 10, 1863. His army enters the capital. 

July 10, 1863. Assembly of notables at Mexico decide on the establish- 
ment of a limited hereditary monarchy, with a Roman 
Catholic prince as Emperor, and offer the crown to the 
Archduke Maximilian of Austria ; a regency established. 

Aug. 11, 1863. The French reoccupy Tampico. 

Oct. 1, 1863. Marshal Forey resigns his command to Bazaine, and returns 
to France. 

Oct. 3, 1863. The Archduke Maximilian accepts the crown, under condi- 
tions. 

Nov. 12, 1863. The Mexican General Comonfort surprised and shot by par- 
tisans. 

Dec. 18, 1863. Successful advance of the imperialists ; Juarez retires from 
San Luis Potosi. 

Dec. 24, 1863. It is entered by the imperialists. 

Jan., Feb., '64. The French occupy various places. 

Feb. 27, 1864. The ex-President, General Santa Anna, lands at Vera Cruz, 
professing adhesion to the empire ; March 12th, dismissed 
by Bazaine. 

April 3, 1864. Juarez enters Monterey, which becomes the seat of the Re- 
publican Government. 

April 10, 1864. The Archduke Maximilian definitively accepts the crown 
from the Mexican deputation at Miramar. 

May 29, 1864. The Emperor and Empress land at Vera Cruz; June 12th, 
enter the City of Mexico. 

August, 1864. The Emperor visits the interior ; grants a free press. 

Dec. 27, 1864. The Republicans defeat the Imperialists at San Pedro. 

Jan. 1, 1865. Juarez at Chihuahua exhorts the Mexicans to maintain their 
independence. 

Jan. 18, 1865. The Emperor institutes the order of the Mexican Eagle. 

Feb. 9, 1865. Surrender of Oaxaca to Marshal Bazaine. 

April 10, 1865. A temporary Constitution promulgated. 



24 GENERAL INFORMATIOK 

June, 1865. Ortega, at New York, enlists recruits for the Republican 
army, which is discountenanced by the United States 
Government. 
Maximilian I (brother to the Emperor of Austria), bom July 
6, 1832; accepted the crown April 10, 1864; married, 
July 27, 1857, to Princess Charlotte, daughter of Leo- 
pold I, King of the Belgians ; adopts Augustus Iturbide 
as his heir, September, 1865. 

October, 1865. The Emperor proclaims the end of the war, and martial law 
against aU armed bands of men. 

October, 1865. Juarez re-elected President second time. 

June 19, 1867. Execution of Maximilian at Queretaro. 
1869. Juarez re-elected President third time. 

July 18, 1872. Death of President Juarez, 

1872. Lerdo de Tejada, twenty-second President. 

Jan. 17, 1873. English railway, from Vera Cruz to Mexico (263 miles), com- 
pleted. 

June 20, 1 876, Death of Santa Anna. 

Oct., Nov,, " Serious revolution in Mexico. Lerdo de Tejada, though 
elected a second time, is prevented by the Diaz party 
from serving as President, 

Dec. 1, 1876, Juan N, Mendez, twenty-third (provisional) President. 

May 5, 1877. Porfirio Diaz, twenty-fourth President. 

May 5, 1877. Amendment of the Constitution, prohibiting the election of 
the President and the Governors of the States to a sec- 
ond term of office, 

Dec. 1, 1880. Manuel Gonzalez, twenty-fifth President. 

Dec. 1, 1884. Manuel Gonzalez's term expires,* 

It is generally conceded that Porfirio Diaz, the present 
Governor of the State of Oaxaca, will become the next 
President of the Republic. No revolution has taken 
place since 1876. 

Books of reference : Prescott, Conquest of Mexico ; 
Eobertson, History of America ; Lucas Alaman, Historia 
de Mejico ; Zamacois, Historia de Mejico. 

* Many of these events are taken from Haydn's Dictionary of Dates. 

( 



GEOGRAPHT, 25 

III. 
Geography. 

Situation". — The Mexican Eepublic extends from the 
15th to the 32d degrees of north latitude, and from the 
87th to the 117th meridians of longitude west from G-reen- 
wich.* 

Boui^DAKiES. — Mexico is bounded on the north by the 
United States of America, whose frontier is marked as fol- 
lows : from the mouth of the Eio Bravo, or Eio Grande 
del Norte, following the course of the river to the paral- 
lel of 31° 47' ; thence it is continued for 100 miles to the 
west on the same parallel, then to the south to latitude 
31° 11'. It now follows the latter parallel to the 111th 
meridian, and then runs to the northwest as far as the 
Eio Colorado, in latitude 32° 29' 45'', and, crossing this 
river, is marked by the dividing line between Upper and 
Lower California at the Bay of San Diego. The length 
of the northern frontier is 1,900 miles. On the east, by 
the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean ; on the west, 
by the Pacific Ocean ; and, on the south, by the Eepublic 
of Guatemala f and the territory of Balize, or British Hon- 
duras. 

Aeea. — Mexico contains, according to Busto's Esta- 
distica de la RepuUica Mexicana, 1,958,912 square kilo- 
metres, or 756,336 square miles. The Statesman's Year- 
Booh gives the area at 743,948 square miles. 

Topography. -^ifo^m^f«^^5. — The Eepublic is traversed 
by the continuation of the Cordillera of South America, 
which in Mexico is called the Sierra Madre. It trends 
northwesterly from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 

* Approximately. 

f The long-disputed boundary question between Mexico and Guatemala 
has recently been decided in favor of the former, 
2 



26 



GENERAL INFORMATION. 



This range has a moderate eleyation in the southern 
States of Chiapas and Oaxaca ; but in latitude 19°, the 
mean altitude is about 9,000 feet aboye the sea-leyel, and 
two peaks, Popocatepetl and Orizaba, rise to the great ele- 
vations of 17,720 feet and 17,200 feet respectively. The 
former mountain is the culminating point of North Amer- 




**^ ^5=" 



Scene in Mexico. 

ica. On the parallel of 21° the Cordillera becomes yery 
wide, and divides itself into three ranges. The eastern 
branch runs to Saltillo and Monterey ; the western branch 
traverses the States of Jalisco and Sinaloa, and subsides in 
Northern Sonora ; while the central ridge extends through 
the States of Durango and Chihuahua, forming the water- 
shed of the northern table-land. The range decreases in 
elevation in going northward. 



GEOGRAPHY. 



27 



Four peaks — viz., Popocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl, Orizaba, 
the Nevada de Toluca — rise above 15,000 feet ; and three 
others — the Oof re de Perote, Ajusco, and the volcano of 
Oolima — are upward of 11,000 feet in altitude. (The exact 
heights of these mountains are given in Part II.) Eef er- 
ring to these lofty peaks, Humboldt remarks :* *^0n the 
great table-land, the colossal mountains covered with per- 
petual snow seem, as it were, to rise out of a plain. The 
spectator confounds the ridge of the soft swelling land, the 
elevated plain, with the plain of the lowlands, and it is 
only from a change of climate, the lowering of the tem- 
perature under the same degree of latitude, that he is re- 
minded of the height to which he has ascended." 

The country is divided into three zones — viz., the tierra 
caliente, or hot land ; the tierra templada, or temperate 
land ; and the tierra fria, or cold land. About one half of 
the surface of Mexico lies in the latter zone, the remainder 
of the Kepublic being almost equally divided between the 
tierra templada and tierra caliente. Geographers differ in 
defining the limits of the various zones, as is shown by the 
following table : 



ZONES. 


According to H\imboldt. 


According to Milner. 


Tierra caliente 

Tierra templada .... 
Tierra fria 


Up to 3,936 feet. 
Up to 7,217 feet. 
Above 7,217 feet. 


Up to 2,000 feet. 
From 2,000 to 5,000 feet. 
From 5,000 to 8,000 feet. 



The coasts of the Eepublic are low, but the land rises 
gradually upon going toward the interior. The flat region 
of the eastern part of Mexico is wider than that of the 
western coast. In the former the tierra caliente has an 
average breadth of about 65 miles, while in the latter it 
varies from 40 to 70 miles. 



* Cosmos, vol. V, p. 379. 



28 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

The annexed cut shows an exaggerated profile of the 
country between the two oceans : 




Mexican Table-land. 

Mexico consists for the greater part of an eleyated pla- 
teau having a mean height of about 6,000 feet above the 
sea-level. This plateau extends from the frontier of the 
United States to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is widest 
in the latitude of the national capital, being about 350 miles 
at this point, and contracts gradually toward the south. 

The principal table-lands of the northern Mexican pla- 
teau are that of Chihuahua, which lies north of latitude 
24°, and east of the Oonchos and Florida Eivers, and hav- 
ing an elevation of from 4,000 to 6,000 feet, and that of 
Anahuac, which is from 6,000 to 8, 000 feet high. There are 
four distinct table-lands on the central plateau, as follows : 

That of Toluca, having a mean elevation of 8,5*70 feet. 

That of Tenochtitlan, " " 7,470 feet. 

That of Aelopan, " " 6,450 feet. 

That of Istla, " " 3,320 feet. 

Two passes, about 500 miles apart, afford an outlet from 
the great table-land to the eastward — viz., that of Jalapa, 
through which Cortes built a road during the Conquest ; 
and one at Saltillo, through which the United States troops 
reached the plateau during the Mexican War. 

In referring to the uniform character of the surface of 
the great plateau of Mexico, Humboldt has remarked in 
the Cosmos, vol. v, p. 380, that the traveler may proceed 
in a four-wheeled carriage on the ridge of the table-land, 
from the City of Mexico to Santa Fe, a distance of at least 



GEOGRAPHY. 29 

1,200 miles, without the advantage of artificially prepared 
roads. 

KiVEES. — Mexico, on account of the narrow form of the 
continent, which prevents the collection of a great mass of 
water, contains very few navigable streams, the principal 
ones being the Goatzacoalcos and Panuco Rivers. There 
are sand-bars at the months of many of the rivers, on which 
not more than three or four feet of water is to be found at 
low tide. Several streams could be made navigable at com- 
paratively small expense. This fact would apply especially 
to the Rio de Santiago, the longest river in the Republic, 
according to Humboldt, who states that it is as long as the 
Elbe or Rhone, and that the grain from the States of Gua- 
najuato and Jalisco could be thus transported to the west- 
ern coast. 

The following list gives the names and lengths of the 
principal rivers in Mexico : 

Miles. Miles. 

Rio de Santiago 542 

Rio de las Balzas 418 

Rio Yaqui 338 

Rio Conchos 338 

Rio de Grijalva 344 

Rio Usumasinta 341 



Rio Panuco 286 

Rio de Sinaloa 277 

Rio de Ures 208 

Rio de Culiaean 156 

Rio de Goatzacoalcos 112 



Lakes. — There are many lakes on the Mexican plateau, 
most of which are extensive shallow lagoons, as in the val- 
leys of Mexico and Parras. They are only the remains of 
large basins of water that formerly existed on the high 
plains of the Cordillera. The majority of these lakes have 
no outlet, and are accordingly filled with salt water. Owing 
to rapid evaporation, their surface has diminished appreci- 
ably since the time of the Spanish Conquest. 

The Lagoon {laguna) of Terminos, on the coast of the 
Gulf of Campeche, is the largest in Mexico, but it is an 
arm of the sea, rather than a lake. 



30 GENERAL INFORMATIOK 

Strictly speaking, the Lake of Chapala, in tlie State of 
Jalisco, is the largest in the country. Lake Patzcuaro and 
Lake Ouitzeo are next in importance among the inland bod- 
ies of fresh water. 

Islands. — Mexico owns many islands on the west coast, 
the principal of which are San Ignacio, Angel de la Griiarda, 
Salsipuedes, Tibaron, Carmen, and Cerralyo, in the Gulf of 
California ; Cerros, Santa Margarita, and Las Tres Marias, 
in the Pacific Ocean. There are also several islands belong- 
ing to the Eepublic in the Grulf of Mexico, and off the coast 
of Yucatan, of which the most important are Carmen, in 
the former, and Mugeres, Cancun, and Cozumel, adjoining 
the latter. 

Guano islands abound in the southern part of the Gulf 
of Mexico, some of them being claimed by citizens of the 
United States. 

Climate. — N"o country on the globe has a greater yariety 
of climate than Mexico. The mean temperature of the three 
zones is as follows : for the tierra caliente, 77°; for the tierra 
templada, from 68° to 70° ; and in the tierra fria, 62° Fahr. 
Extremes of temperature are comparatiyely rare in the lat- 
ter, and unknown in the tierra templada, but they are fre- 
quent in the former zone. In Vera Cruz, the mercury often 
stands at 90° in the warm season, but, if the wind suddenly 
changes to the northward, it will sink to 65° Fahr. in a few 
hours. 

The rainy season varies slightly in different parts of 
Mexico, but always occurs in summer. In Yucatan, Cam- 
peche, Tabasco, and Chiapas, it lasts from May to October, 
while the season begins a little later in the States of Oaxaca 
and Guerrero. In the latitude of the national capital, the 
rains fall between June 1st and October 1st, with occasional 
showers during the winter, esj)ecially in February, when 
the weather is very changeable. The Mexicans have a prov- 
erb which runs thus : 



GEOGRAPHY, 31 

"Febrero loco, 
Porque de todo, 
Tiene uii poco," 

which, being interpreted, means, February is a fool be- 
cause it has a little of everything, i. e., all kinds of 
weather. 

According to Humboldt, the annual rainfall at the City 
of Mexico amounts to fifty-nine inches. In the northern 
part of Mexico, the rainy season is in the months of July, 
August, September, and half of October. 

Snow falls in winter at an elevation of about 8,500 feet. 
According to Humboldt, the line of perpetual snow in Mex- 
ico is 15,091 feet above the level of the sea.* 

The atmosphere on the Mexican plateau is very dry. 
This aridity proceeds from two causes : 1. The evapora- 
tion that occurs on great plains, which is increased by the 
high table-land ; and, 2. The country is not suflSciently 
elevated for a considerable number of the mountains to 
penetrate the region of perpetual snow. Tourists are liable 
to suffer from thirst and chapped lips on arriving in the 
valley of Mexico, owing to the dryness of the climate. 
The nights are cold throughout the year on the great 
table-land north of the eighteenth parallel of latitude. In 
general, the temperature will sink as low as 45° Fahr., and 
occasionally the thermometer will fall to the freezing-point 
on the higher plains. The coldest part of the night is just 
before daybreak. In the vicinity of the snow-clad moun- 
tains, the sky is usually free from clouds in the early 
morning, but toward nine o'clock they rise gradually, and 
often cover the higher peaks for the remainder of the 
day. In the tierra cahente, and in the greater part of the 
tier r a templada, a clear sky prevails, as a rule, during the 
entire year, except for a few hours of the day during the 
rainy season (el tiempo de agua). Strong winds are com- 
* Under the equator the snow-line is estimated at 15,750 feet. 



32 GENERAL INFORMATION, 

mon on the table-land, and tlie dust often rises in clouds 
on tlie sandy plains. 

Political Diyisioks. — New Spain was formerly di- 
vided into ten districts, yiz. : The kingdoms of Mexico, 
New Gralicia, and Leon ; the colony of New Santander, and 
the proyinces of Texas, Coahuila, New Biscay, Sonora, New 
Mexico, and the two Californias. 

The country was subsequently partitioned into twelve 
intendancies and three provinces, as follows : 

1. The province of New Mexico. 

2. The intendancy of New Biscay, or Durango. 

3. The province of New California. 

4. The province of Old California. 

5. The intendancy of Sonora. 

6. The intendancy of San Luis Potosi.* 

7. The intendancy of Zacatecas. 

8. The intendancy of Guadalajara. 

9. The intendancy of Guanajuato. 

10. The intendancy of Valladolid. 

11. The intendancy of Mexico, f 

12. The intendancy of Puebla. 

13. The intendancy of Vera Cruz. 

14. The intendancy of Oaxaca. 

15. The intendancy of Merida, or Yucatan. 

The Republic of Mexico is now divided into twenty- 
seven States, one Territory, and one Federal District. The 
several States are subdivided into 48 departments, 170 dis- 
tricts, 48 cantons, 110 counties, 1,411 municipalities, 146 
cities, 378 towns, 4,886 villages, 872 hamlets, 6 missions, 
5,869 haciendas, and 14,705 ranches. 

The populations of the several States are given in the 
chapter on the census. It is worthy of remark, however, 
that Jalisco has the largest number of inhabitants. The 

* The largest as regards area, 
f The largest in population. 



LITERATURE. 



33 



following is a list of the Mexican States, classified accord- 
ing to su^Derficial area : 



Square kilometres. 

Chihuahua 22*7,716 

Sonora 209,694 

Lower California (Territory) 152,847 

Coahuila de Zaragoza 152,517 

Jalisco 114,896 

Durango 110,463 

Yucatan 84,585 

Tamaulipas 75,191 

San Luis Potosi 71,210 

Vera Cruz-Llave 71,116 

Oaxaca 70,838 

Sinaloa 69,211 

Zacatecas 68,596 

Guerrero 68,568 

Campeche 67,539 

Total 1,958,912 



Square kilometres. 

Michoacan de Ocampo 55,693 

Chiapas 43,930 

Nuevo Leon 38,156 

Tabasco 32,935 

Puebla 31,120 

Mexico 25,972 

Hidalgo 21,693 

Guanajuato 20,276 

Queretaro de Orteaga 8,300 

Colima 7,136 

Aguascalientes 5,776 

Morelos 4,536 

Tlaxcala 3,898 

Federal District 231 



lY. 
Literature. 

Up to the present time Mexican literature has occupied 
a subordinate position compared to that of Europe and the 
United States. The people of Mexico are acquainted more 
extensiyely with French literature than with that of any 
other country. Prieto is the great national poet ; while Cu- 
ello, Mateos, Oontreras, Paz, Peza, Payno, Altimirano, Justo 
Sierra, Carpio, and Eiva Palacio are the best-known noyel- 
ists. The latter author is also a dramatic writer. 

The preyailing style of books that are read in the Ee- 
public are Spanish translations of French and English vol- 
umes. Books are admitted free of duty, and many of the 
works used in the country are printed in the Spanish lan- 
guage at Paris. 



34: GENERAL INFORMATION. . 

Y. 
Euins. 

ExCEPTii^G the teocallis, or pyramids, all of the impor- 
tant ruins in Mexico are situated in the States of Yucatan, 
Chiapas, and Oaxaca. 

A discussion of the comparative ages of these ancient 
remains, together with the most plausible theories as to 
their origin, would be foreign to the purpose of this vol- 
ume. Suffice it to say, that the Mexican antiquarians of 
the present day consider the ruins of Uxmal, in Northern 
Yucatan, to be the oldest ; those of Palenque, in Chiapas, 
next in rank ; and Mitla, in Oaxaca, third in point of age. 

It is worthy of remark that neither Palenque nor Mitla 
(the former being buried in a dense forest), was known to 
the outside world until a comparatively recent period — i. e., 
about 1750 ; but the remains in Yucatan were familiar to 
Europeans long before. 

These ruins were built of hewn stone, and all writers 
have referred to the skill in architecture and workman- 
ship exhibited in them. The ordinary dwelling-houses 
must have been made chiefly of wood, or of some other ma- 
terial that perished long ago, for at the present time no 
traces of them are visible. 

Great cities and temples are to-day concealed by thick 
forests, and the traveler can not form a correct idea of 
their original size. It is to be regretted that, with the 
present limited facilities for traveling, many of the ruins 
of Southern Mexico are difficult of access. The princi- 
pal remains lie remote from the sea-coast and also from the 
lines of railroad. 

Let us begin with the ruined edifices of Yucatan, and 
describe the places in their geographical and supposed his- 
torical order. 



RUINS. 35 

Baldwin, in Ancient America, p. 101, says : ^^Near the 
ruins, ... in Yucatan, are frequently found the remains 
of many finely-constructed aguadas, or artificial lakes. 
The bottoms of these lakes were made of flat stones laid 
in cement, several layers deep. In Yucatan traces of a 
very ancient paved road have been found. This road ran 
north and south, and probably led to cities in the region 
now covered by the great wilderness. It was raised above 
the graded level of the ground, and made very smooth." 

The same author, on pp. 125, 126, states : *^ The re- 
mains of ancient cities are abundant in the settled portion 
of Yucatan which lies north of the great forest. Oharnay 
found * the country covered with them from north to south.' 
Stephens states, in the preface to his work on Yucatan, 
that he visited ^forty-four ruined cities or places,' in which 
such remains are still found, most of which were unknown 
to white men, even to those inhabiting the country. . . . 

** Previous to the Spanish Conquest, the region known 
to us as Yucatan was called Maya. It is still called Maya 
by the natives among themselves.* . . . 

"At that time the country was occupied by the people 
still known as Mayas. . . . Yucatan was then more popu- 
lous than at present. The people had more civilization, 
more regular industry, and more wealth. They were much 
more highly skilled in the arts of civilized life. They had 
cities and large towns. . . . This peninsula had been the 
seat of an important feudal monarchy, which arose prob- 
ably after the Toltecs overthrew the very ancient kingdom 
of Xibalba. It was broken up by a rebellion of the feudal 
lords about a hundred years previous to the arrival of the 
Spaniards. According to the Maya chronicles, its down- 
fall occurred in the year 1420. Mayapan, the capital of 
this kingdom, was destroyed at that time, and never after- 
ward inhabited." 
* The Maya language is spoken in Yucatan at the present day. — A. R. 0. 



36 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

The most important ruins are found at Mayapan, Ux- 
mal, and Chiclien-Itza, in the northern part of the penin- 
sula. We will describe them in the following order : 

MAYAPAlSr. 

The remains of this ancient capital lie about thirty 
miles south of Merida. They are scattered over a broad 
plain. The principal edifices are the great mound and a 
circular stone structure. The former is sixty feet in height, 
and has a base that is one hundred feet square. Four stair- 
ways, twenty-five feet in width, lead to the summit, which 
consists of a simple stone platform fifteen feet square. The 
latter building is twenty-five feet in diameter, and stands 
on a sloping foundation thirty-five feet in height Two 
rows of columns, without capitals, and lying eight feet 
apart, are seen on the southwestern side of it. Brasseur 
de Bourbourg ranks several of the foundations of the Maya- 
pan edifices with the oldest seen at Palenque. 

About forty miles south of Mayapan are found the far- 
famed ruins of 

UXMAL. 

Stephens says that the TJxmal remains are worthy to 
stand side by side with those of Egyptian and Eoman art.* 
Baldwin, in Ancient America, pp. 131-136, describes TJx- 
mal as follows : '' The ruins in Uxmal have been regarded 
as the most important in Yucatan, partly on account of 
the edifices which remain standing, but chiefly because 
they have been visited and explored more than the others. 
. . . The area covered by its remains is extensive. Char- 
nay makes it a league or more in diameter, but most of 
the structures have fallen, and exist only in fragments 
scattered over the ground. . . . 

* Incidents of Travel in Central America^ Chiapas^ and Ytccaian, vol. 
ii, p. 430. 



RUINS. 37 

'* The most important of those remaining was named 

* Casa del Gobernador ' by the Spaniards. It is 320 feet 
long, and was built of hewn stone laid in mortar or cement. 
The faces of the wall are smooth up to the cornice. Then 
follows, on all four sides, * one solid mass of rich, compli- 
cated, and elaborately sculptured ornaments, forming a sort 
of arabesque.' . . . This building has eleven doorways in 
front, and one at each end, all having wooden lintels which 
have fallen. The two principal rooms are 60 feet long, and 
from 11 to 13 feet wide. This structure is long and narrow. 
... It stands on the summit of one of the grandest of the 
terraced foundations. This foundation, like the others, is 
pyramidal. It has three terraces. The lowest is 3 feet 
high, 15 wide, and 575 long ; the second is 20 feet high, 
275 wide, and 545 long ; the third, 19 feet high, 30 wide, 
and 360 long. Structures formerly existed on the second 
terrace, remains of which are visible. . . . 

"Another important edifice at Uxmal has been named 

* Oasa de las Monjas ' — House of the Nuns. It stands on a 
terraced foundation, and is arranged around a quadrangu- 
lar courtyard 258 feet one way and 214 the other. The 
front structure is 279 feet long, and has a gateway in the 
center, 10 feet 8 inches wide, leading into the court, and four 
doors on each side of it. The outer face of the wall, above 
the cornice, is ornamented with sculptures. . . . All the 
doorways, save those in front, open on the court.* . . . 

"Other less important edifices in the ruins at Uxmal 
have been described by explorers, some of which stand 
on high pyramidal mounds ; and inscriptions are found 
here, but they are not so abundant as at Palenque and 
Copan." 

The remains at Chichen-Itza are similar to those at 
Uxmal. They are situated a few leagues east of Mayapan, 

* Stephens has remarked that there are no idols, nor stuccoed figures, 
nor carved tablets at Uxmal. 



38 GENERAL INFORMATION 

in northern Yucatan. The principal buildings are the 
^'^ church," the palace of the monks, the red house or casa 
color ada, and the "gymnasium," or tennis-court. In one 
of the edifices are found rooms whose walls are covered 
with picture-writing. Some of them are ornamented with 
figures of serpents. 

There are other ruins of importance at Izamal, Labna, 
Zayi, and Xcoch, in the northern and central portions of 
Yucatan, but they are of the same general character as 
those aboye mentioned. 

One remarkable ruin is found at Ake, in the southern 
part of the State. It was once a massive structure, but at 
the present day only thirty-six columns in three parallel 
rows remain. They are about fifteen feet high and four feet 
square. Euins may also be seen on the island of Cozumel. 
(Tide Section I in Part second for description of routes.) 

PALEKQUE. 

Baldwin, in Ancient America^ pp. 104-106, thus de- 
scribes the ruins at this place : ^* No one can tell the true 
name of the ancient city now called Palenque. It is ktiown 
to us by this name because the ruins are situated a few 
miles distant from the town of Palenque, now a village, 
but formerly a place of some importance. . . . More than 
two hundred years passed after the arrival of the Spaniards 
before their existence became known to Europeans. They 
were discovered about the year 1750. 

^* Since that year decay has made some progress in them. 
Captain del Kio, who visited and described them in 1787, 
examined '■ fourteen edifices ' admirably built of hewn stone, 
and estimated the extent of the ruins to be ' seven or eight 
leagues one way (along the Eiver Chacamas), and half a 
league the other.' He mentions ^a subterranean aqueduct 
of great solidity and durability, which passes under the 
largest building.' . . . 



RUINS. 39 

" The largest known building at Palenque is called the 
' Palace. ' It stands near the river, on a terraced pyramidal 
foundation, 40 feet high and 310 feet long, by 260 feet 
broad at the base. The edifice itself is 228 feet long, 180 
wide, and 25 feet high. It faces the east, and has 14 door- 
ways on each side, with 11 at the ends. It was built en- 
tirely of hewn stone, laid with admirable precision in 
mortar, which seems to have been of the best quality. A 
corridor 9 feet wide, and roofed by a pointed arch, went 
round the building on the outside ; and this was separated 
from another within of equal width. 

*'The ^Palace ' has four interior courts, the largest be- 
ing 70 by 80 feet in extent. These are surrounded by cor- 
ridors, and the architectural work facing them is richly 
decorated. "Within the building were many rooms. From 
the north side of one of the smaller courts rises a high 
tower, or pagoda-like structure, 30 feet square at the base, 
which goes up far above the highest elevation of the build- 
ing, and seems to have been still higher when the whole 
structure was in perfect condition. The great rectangular 
mound used for the foundation was cased with hewn stone, 
the workmanship here, and everywhere else throughout 
the structure, being very superior. The piers around the 
courts are * covered with figures in stucco, or plaster, which, 
where broken, reveals six or more coats or layers, each re- 
vealing traces of painting.' This indicates that the build- 
ing had been used so long before it was deserted that 
the plastering needed to be many times renewed. There is 
some evidence that painting was used as a means of decora- 
tion ; but that which most engages attention is the artistic 
management of the stone-work, and, above all, the beauti- 
fully executed sculptures for ornamentation. 

" Two other buildings at Palenque, marked by Mr. 
Stephens, in his plan of the ruins, as ' Oasa No. 1 ' and 
' Oasa No. 2,' .... are smaller, but in some respects still 



40 ' GEFEEAL INFORMATION. 

more remarkable. The first of these, 75 feet long by 25 
wide, stands on the summit of a high truncated pyramid, 
and has solid walls on all sides save the north, where there 
are five doorways. Within are a corridor and three rooms. 
Between the doorways leading from the corridor to these 
rooms are great tablets, each 13 feet long and 8 feet high, 
and all covered with elegantly-carved inscriptions. A simi- 
lar but smaller tablet, covered with an inscription, appears 
on the wall of the central room. 

" ' Casa No. 2 ' consists of a steep and lofty truncated 
pyramid, which stands on a terraced foundation, and has 
its level summit crowned with a building 50 feet long by 
31 wide, which has three doorways at the south, and within 
a corridor and three rooms. This edifice, sometimes called 
'La Cruz,' has, above the height required for the rooms, 
what is described as ' two stories of interlaced stucco-work, 
resembling a high, fanciful lattice.' Here, too, inscribed 
tablets appear on the walls ; but the inscriptions, which 
are abundant at Palenque, are by no means confined to tab- 
lets. As to the ornamentation, the walls, piers, and cor- 
nices are covered by it. Everywhere the masterly work- 
manship and artistic skill of the old constructors compel 
admiration ; Mr. Stephens going so far as to say of sculp- 
tured human figures found in fragments : ' In justness of 
proportion and symmetry they must have approached the 
Greek models.'" 

It is probable that more buildings will be found at Pa- 
lenque when the ruins have been fully explored. Mr. Ste- 
phens, referring to the dense vegetation, says : " Without a 
guide, we might have gone within a hundred feet of the 
buildings without discovering one of them." On account 
of the great abundance of inscriptions at Palenque, which 
have not thus far been deciphered, these ruins are consid- 
ered to be very important by archseologists. (For routes to 
Palenque, see pp. 150-156.) 



» 



EUIJSrS. 41 



MITLA. 



Baldwin, in Ancient America^ pp. 117-122, describes 
these ruins as follows : 

** The ruins called Mitla are in the Mexican State of 
Oaxaca, about twelve leagues east from the city of Oaxaca. 
They are situated in the upper part of a great valley, and 
surrounded by a waste, uncultivated region. At the time 
of the Spanish Conquest they were old and much worn by 
time and the elements, but a very large area was then cov- 
ered by remains of ancient buildings. At present only six 
decaying edifices and three ruined pyramids, which were 
very finely terraced, remain for examination, the other struct- 
ures being now reduced to the last stage of decay. . . . 

^^Four of the standing edifices are described by Dupaix 
as ^palaces,' and these, he says, 'were erected with lavish 
magnificence ; . . . they combine the solidity of the works 
of Egypt with the elegance of those of Greece. ' And he 
adds : " But what is most remarkable, interesting, and 
striking in these monuments, and which alone would be 
sufficient to give them the first rank among all known 
orders of architecture, is the execution of their mosaic re- 
lievos — very different from plain mosaic, and consequently 
requiring more ingenious combination, and greater art and 
labor. They are inlaid on the surface of the wall, and 
their duration is owing to the method of fixing the pre- 
pared stones into the stone surface, which made their union 
with it perfect.' . . . 

''The general character of the architecture and ma- 
sonry is much like that seen in the structures at Palenque, 
but the finish of the workmanship appears to have been 
more artistic and admirable. These ruins are remarkable 
among those of the country where they are found. All 
who have seen them speak much as Dupaix speaks of the 
perfection of the masonry, the admirable design and finish 



42 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

of the work, and the beauty of the decorations. Their 
beauty, says M. Charnay, can be matched only by the 
monuments of Greece and Kome in their best days. One 
fact presented by some of the edifices at Mitla has a cer- 
tain degree of historical significance. There appears to be 
evidence that they were occupied at some period by people 
less adyanced in ciyilization than their builders. . . . 

'^ Two miles or more away from the great edifices here 
mentioned, toward the west, is the ^ Castle of Mitla.' It 
was built on the summit of an isolated and precipitous hill 
of rock, which is accessible only on the east side. The 
whole leveled summit of this hill is inclosed by a solid wall 
of hewn stone, 21 feet thick and 18 feet high. This wall 
has salient and retiring angles, with curtains interposed. 
On the east side it is flanked by double walls. Within the 
inclosure are the remains of several small buildings. The 
field of these ruins was very large three hundred years ago. 
At that time it may have included this castle." 

Humboldt, in his Political Essay on New Spairif vol. 
ii, pp. 239, 240, has described these remains as follows : 

^^The village of Mitla was formerly called Miguitlan, a 
word that means, in the Mexican language, a place of sad- 
ness . The Tzapotec Indians call it Leoha, which signifies 
tomb. . . . Tlie palace, or rather the tombs of Mitla, form 
three edifices symmetrically placed in an extremely roman- 
tic situation. The principal edifice is in the best preserva- 
tion, and is nearly 130 feet in length. A stair formed in a 
pit leads to a subterraneous apartment of 88 feet in length 
and 26 feet in breadth. This gloomy apartment is covered 
with the same grecques which ornament the exterior walls 
of the edifice. But what distinguishes the ruins of Mitla 
from all the other remains of Mexican architecture is six 
porphyry columns, which are placed in the midst of a vast 
hall, and support the ceiling. These columns, almost the 
only ones found in the new continent, bear strong marks 



RUIFS. 43 

of tlie infancy of tlie art. They have neither base nor cap- 
itals. . . . Their total height is 16 J feet, hut their shaft 
is of one piece of amphibole porphyry. Broken-down frag- 
ments, for ages heaped together, conceal more than one 
third of the height of these columns. . . . The distribu- 
tion of the apartments in the interior of this singular edi- 
fice bears a striking analogy to what has been remarked in 
the monuments of Upper Egypt drawn by M. Denon and 
the savans, who compose the institute of Cairo. M. de La- 
guna found in the ruins of Mitla curious paintings repre- 
senting warlike trophies and sacrifices. "... 

Jeffreys states that the buildings at Mitla were probably 
erected by either the Mixtec or Tzapotec Indians. — {Vide 
p. 169.) 

THE PYRAMIDS. 

The teocallis may now be mentioned. They are to be 
found principally at Oholula, San Juan Teotihuacan, and 
Papantla. They may be described in the following order : 

Cliolula, 
This town lies seven miles west of the city of Puebla. 
Its pyramid is by far the largest, oldest, and most impor- 
tant in Mexico. The original dimensions were as follows : 
Height, 177 feet ; horizontal width of the base, 1,423 feet ; 
and area, 45 acres. It is built of alternate strata of brick and 
clay, and the sides correspond to the direction of the me- 
ridians and parallels. At present three terraces can be dis- 
tinctly seen, and the outlines of two others may be traced. A 
winding road, which is paved with stone, leads up to the sum- 
mit. The latter is about 200 feet square. It affords a fine 
view of the valley of Puebla. A chapel has been erected 
by the Mexicans on the platform of this great mound. It is 
built of brick and stone, with a dome and two towers ; and 
the interior contains ornamental frescoes and decorations. 
It is called San Tuariol de los Bemedios. Some vegetation 



44: 



GENERAL INFOBMATIOK 



is seen on the pyramid. It consists of the cactus, pito, and 
afewjy^r^ trees. Several writers have suggested that the 
founders of the mound at Cholula may have had some de- 
sign in building it near the lofty volcano of Popocatepetl, 




Aztec Temple. 

or 'Hhe smoking mountain." This primitive race may 
have been fire as well as serpent worshipers. 

Unfortunately the great temple of Cholula has been 
partially destroyed. A few years ago a cut was made in 
the western side of it for a railroad track ! — ( Vide p. 173.) 

San Juan Teotiliuacan. 

The teocalUs at this town rank next to Cholula in point 
of age. The word ''Teotihuacan" means the habitation 



RUINS. 45 

of the gods. It is now a small yillage, thougli it was once 
a flourishing city, and the riyal of Tula, the great Toltec 
capital. The two principal pyramids were dedicated to To- 
natiuh, the Sun, and to MeztU, the Moon.* The former is 
the larger, its height being 180 feet, and the length of the 
base 682 feet. Its platform is to-day about 75 feet square, 
and the middle point is marked by a modern cylindrical 
monument of stone, about 5 feet high and 6 feet in diameter. 
The summit of this pyramid is said to have been crowned 
with a temple, in which was a gigantic statue of its presid- 
ing deity, the Sun, made of one entire block of stone, and 
haying a breastplate of gold and silver. Three terraces are 
now visible on this larger mound. It is constructed of 
blocks of basalt and trachyte rock. 

About half a mile to the northward of the pyramid of 
the Sun is that dedicated to the Moon. The observer may 
distinguish two terraces on the latter. The summit is about 
20 by 40 feet. Traces of an ancient tomb were formerly 
visible on it. A cross, standing on a pedestal about 12 feet 
high, has been erected recently f at the center of the plat- 
form. It is reached by a winding pathway on the south 
side. The building materials of this mound resemble those 
of the larger one. M. Oharnay, a recent explorer, is said 
to have found an idol buried in the interior. The same 
traveler made a cut into this pyramid to settle the question 
whether the teocalUs were hollow. X He dug a gallery half 
way through, and found the interior to be solid. "We sub- 
mit, however, that this experiment has not solved the prob- 
lem in general. 

A great number of smaller pyramids are seen around the 
two principal ones. Few exceed twenty-five feet in height. 
According to tradition, they were dedicated to the stars, 
and served as sepulchres for the illustrious men of the 

* Vide Prescott, vol. ii, p. 388. f On February 11, 1881. 

X According to tradition these pyramids were hollow. 



46 GENERAL INFORMATION, 

nation. The plain on whicli they are built was called 
Micoatl, or "Path of the Dead." Arrow-heads and frag- 
ments of blades of itztli or obsidian are still abundant 
at these mounds. They attest the warlike character of 
the aborigines. {Vide p. 174.) 

Papantla. 

This village lies in the State of Vera Cruz, about fifty 
miles north of Jalapa. ( Vide p. 155. ) The pyramid is situ- 
ated in a dense forest about two leagues from Papantla. 
It was unknown to the first conquerors, as the Indians 
for centuries concealed this monument from them. It 
possesses great antiquity, and was only discoyered acci- 
dentally by some hunters in 1780. This pyramid was 
not built of bricks or clay mixed with whinstones, like 
those already described, but was made of immense stones 
of porphyry, in the seams of which mortar is distin- 
guishable. Many of these stones are covered with hiero- 
glyphics. Among other figures are carvings of serpents 
and crocodiles. This edifice is remarkable, not so much 
for its size, as for its symmetry, the polish of the stones, 
and the great regularity of their cut. The base of the 
pyramid is an exact square, each side being 82 feet long. 
The perpendicular height is about 60 feet. Like all Mexi- 
can teocallis, this mound is composed of several stages. A 
huge stairway of fifty-seven steps leads to the platform or 
top of the pyramid, where the human victims were sacri- 
ficed. (The manner of sacrifice is described on p. 186.) 

Humboldt, in his great work on New Spain, refers to 
the analogy of the brick monuments of Anahuac to the 
temple of Belus at Babylon, and to the pp-amids near Sak- 
hara in Egypt. On page 195 of vol. ii he says : ^' There 
are in Mexico pyramids of several stages, in the forests of 
PajDantla, at a small elevation above the level of the sea, 
and in the plains of Cholula and Teotihuacan, at elevations 



EUINS. 



47 



surpassing those of our passes in the Alps. We are aston- 
ished to see in regions most remote from one another, and 
under climates of the greatest diversity, man following the 
same model in his edifices, in his ornaments, in his habits, 
and eyen in the form of his political institutions.'' 

The same author gives the following comparative table 
of the great pyramids of the world. It will be seen that 
in the mound of Oholula the length of the base to the per- 
pendicular height is as 8 to 1, while in that of Grhizeh this 
proportion is nearly 8 to 5 : 

Stone Pyramids, 



French feet.* 


Cheops. 


Cephren. 


Mycerinus. 


Height 

Lenolh of base 


448 

728 


398 
655 


162 

280 






Brick 1 


'pyramids. 






Of five stages 

in Egypt, near 

Sakhara. 


Of four stages in Mexico. 




Teotihuacan. 


Oholula. 


Height 


150 
210 


645 


172 


Length of base 


1,355 







There are also teocallis at Misantla, Tusapan, Mapilca, 
and Oaxones in the northern part of the State of Vera Cruz. 

These pyramids are scattered over Central and Eastern 
Mexico. Several writers on archaeology believe that they 
were built by the Toltecs, who are supposed to have been 
the authors of the mounds in Ohio. 



NOETHEEK MEXICO. 

Ancient remains are rare north, as well as west, of the 
valley of Mexico. Toltec ruins are found at Tula, which 

* A French foot equals 1 '066 English feet. 



48 



GENERAL INFORMATION, 



lies about fifty miles north of the capital. The ruins on 
the northern part of the table-land consist of communal 
dwellings, similar to those of the Pueblo Indians of New 
Mexico. They were built of several stories, one being 
ranged above the other. There were no doors on the first 
floor, and the upper stories were reached by means of lad- 
ders. The roofs were commonly flat. These edifices were 
sometimes built of stone, but wood and adobe, or sun-dried 
brick, have been more frequently used. 




Toltec Palace, 



This class of ruins is common in the State of Chihuahua, 
and also in the Territories of Arizona and New Mexico. 
The reports of the Pacific Railroad surveys describe many 
of these ancient towns. Some of them are still inhabited, 
as Taos, Zuni, and Moqui. If the traveler ajDproaches 
Mexico by either of the railroads in Colorado or Arizona, 
he will pass within a few miles of some of the ^* Pueblo" 
dwellings. The Indians of the New Mexican ^pueblos re- 
semble those of Mexico in stature, physiognomy, and 



E0TEL8 AND RESTA URANT8. 49 

habits. Apparently they are the same race of people, and 
it is not improbable, that their ancestors built some of the 
magnificent edifices that remain in the southern part of 
the country. 

Tourists, who are not specially interested in Mexican 
archaeology, are recommended to confine themselves to 
visiting the ruins of Mitla, Oholula, and San Juan Teoti- 
huacan. The former will soon be within twenty miles of 
a line of railway, and the other places are within an hour's 
walk of it. 

For additional information on the ancient remains of Mexico, 
consult the following books : 

Humboldt, Political Essay on New Spain. 

Kingsborough, Mexican Antiquities. 

Dupaix, Antiquites mexicaines. 

Prescott, Conquest of Mexico. 

Baldwin, Ancient America. 

Stephens, Incidents of Travel in Central America^ Chiapas^ and 
Yucatan. 

Also the works of Catherwood, Waldeck, Del Rio, Brasseur de 
Bourbourg, and Charnay. 



VI. 
Hotels and Restaurants. 

Most of the hotels in Mexico are kept on the European 
plan ; but those of Monterey and other towns near the 
northern frontier are conducted according to the American 
system. Two-storied buildings are generally used for hotel 
purposes ; and in recent years a few convents have been 
altered for this kind of business. The inns are often 
called after ex-presidents or generals in the army. Many 
of them bear the name of the illustrious patriot Hidalgo. 

In the large cities men are commonly employed to take 



50 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

care of bed-rooms, while in the smaller towns one meets 
with chambermaids. 

Hotels are not so abundant in Mexico as in the United 
States, and the accommodations of the former are much 
inferior to those of the latter. The natives are not much 
given to traveling, owing to the difficulty and expense of 
making long journeys. When visiting a strange town they 
usually stay at the house of a friend. There are cities of 
15,000 inhabitants, remote from the regular lines of travel, 
where no inn is to be found. The General Diligence Com- 
pany controls a great many taverns throughout the central 
portions of the country. Mexican hotels are of two classes — 
those for tourists, and those for both persons and live-stock, 
such as horses or horned cattle. The latter are called me- 
sones and posadas. 

Bath-rooms are rarely found in hotels. There are, how- 
ever, excellent bath-houses in the principal cities, which 
are often within two or three minutes' walk of the princi- 
pal hotels.* 

English is rarely spoken at the inns, but French is gen- 
erally known at the larger hotels and restaurants. Many 
of the proprietors are Spaniards or Frenchmen ; and there 
is a great opening for Americans in this branch of business. 

The modern conveniences, such as hot-air furnaces, 
water-pipes and set bowls, electric bells, and gas, are al- 
most unknown. It is said that there is not a single fire- 
place in any building in Mexico, f The natives believe that 
the artificial heating of rooms m the rarefied air of the 
table-land is prejudicial to health. Public parlors are very 
rarely found in the hotels. 

The charge at first-class houses throughout the country 
is from $2 to 12.50 per day. In the capital the rates are a 

* The finest bathing establishments in Mexico are in San Luis Potosi, 
Orizaba, and Puebla. Those of the national capital are not first class, 
f The author did not see ncir hear of any. 



HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS. 51 

little higher. The best hotels and restaurants, generally- 
named in the order of their merit, are given in Part 
Second. In Mexico City a good tcible dliote dinner can 
be had in the restaurants for II. Elsewhere the usual price 
for dinner is four reales, or fifty cents ; and in the villages 
the cost is as low as two reales for a meal. It is the custom 
to give waiters and servants a fee. A half real {medio) is 
sufficient. A cup of coffee or chocolate, with bread, is com- 
monly served for one real. A glass of spirits, wine, or beer, 
costs the same sum. 

The Mexicans use the word ^'fonda^' as synonymous 
with restaurant, and ^^fondita" is similar to a cafe, the 
latter term being frequently employed. In the ' ^ provincial " 
fondas, it is customary to salute persons at the table, when 
entering or leaving the room, whether acquainted or not. 

In the rural districts and in the mining towns, goat's 
milk is often used at the taverns. 

Fresh vegetables, excepting potatoes, are rarely served 
at the restaurants. Oranges and bananas are generally the 
only kinds of fruit to be met with, although the country 
affords many varieties. Tea is not usually taken ; and pies, 
tarts, cakes, and puddings, are almost unknown at the ho- 
tels and cafes. Dessert consists, as a rule, of dulce, which 
means something sweet, such as jams, preserved fruit, etc. 

The natives usually eat tortillas, or corn-cakes, and 
frijoles, or brown beans. The former are found only in 
the country and small towns, but the latter are served at all 
hotels and restaurants. 

A great deal of pepper and grease is used in Mexican 
cookery. Even boiled rice is saturated with melted lard. 
Beef and mutton, as well as poultry, are generally to be 
had at breakfast and dinner in the fondas throughout the 
Eepublic. The sugar used comes in loaves directly from 
the mills, and is broken up by hand into small pieces. A 
small quantity of refined granulated sugar is imported. 



52 GENERAL INFORMATION 

The following list * of tlie most common dishes may be 
of service to the traveler : 

Caldo, broth ; sopa, soup. 
Bacalao, codfish ; dagre, a kind of fish. 
Came, beef ; carnero, mutton. 
Ternera, veal. 
Juajalote, turkey. 
Polio, chicken. 

Arroz cocida, plain boiled rice, 
Blanquillos, or Jiuevos, eggs. 
Huevos UMos, soft-boiled eggs. 
Huevos jpasados en agua, hard-boiled eggs. 
Huevos fritos en agua, poached eggs. 
Huevos fritosy fried eggs. 
Tortilla de Jiuevos, omelette. 

Chile relleno is a fried green-pepper, stuffed with 
mince-meat and coated with eggs. 
Many kinds of bread are made in Mexico, the principal 
of which are : 

Pan de agua, " water " bread. 

Pan de azucar, "sugar" bread. 

Pan de dulce, *^ sweet" bread. 

Pan de huevos, " Qgg " bread. 

Pan de leche, "milk " bread. 

Pan de manteca, "lard" bread. 



yn. 

Passport. 

At present no passport is necessary for traveling in 
Mexico. 

* This list is not intended to supplement the vocabulary at end of Part 
Second. 



CUSTOM-HOUSES,— COMMERCE, 53 

YIII. 

Custom-Houses. 

According to the laws of Mexico, the examination of 
baggage will be made "liberally and with prudence and 
moderation." In general the tourist will be treated politely 
by the customs officers. As regards wearing-apparel and 
jewelry for personal use, the amount of that which will not 
be subject to duty is left entirely to the discretion of the 
Government officials, taking into consideration, however, 
the character and social position of the traveler. 

At present the following "extra" articles are admitted 
free of duty : 

Two watches with their chains. 

One hundred cigars. 

Forty small boxes of cigarettes. 

Half kilogramme of snuff. 

Half kilogramme of smoking tobacco. 

One pair of pistols with accessory and with two hundred 
charges. 

A rifle, a gun or fowling-piece, with accessory and with 
two hundred charges. 

One pair of musical instruments, excepting piano-fortes 
and organs. 

Other objects not included in the foregoing list are, of 
course, subject to the duties fixed by the Mexican tariff. 
(See chapter on Duties.) 



IX. 

Commerce. 

The chief exports of Mexico are : Gold, silver, cop- 
per ore, coffee, cochineal, vanilla, indigo, hides, hemp, 



54 



GENERAL INFORMATIOm 



mahogany and other woods. The staple imports are cot- 
ton, linen, and woolen manufactures, wrought iron, and ma- 
chinery. 

In 1875-'76 the imports amounted in value to $28,485,- 
000, and the exports to $25,435,000, of which $15,000,000 
was silyer. 

The foreign commerce in 1879-'80 was as follows : 

To the United States $13,416,600 

To Great Britain 11,037,594 

To France 5,194,741 

To Germany 1,498,734 

To Spain 1,009,368 

To South America 506,488 



$32,663,525 

Of this sum the main exports were as follows : 

Silver $19,823,397 

Gold 1,180,815 

Copper 48,692 

Minerals 483,587 

Building woods 1,597,599 

Other merchandise 9,529,435 



$32,663,525 



The following table shows the trade of the United States 
with Mexico for the three fiscal years ending June 30, 1879, 
1880, and 1881 : 





1879. 


1880. 


1881. 


Exports 


$6,761,284 
14,047,819 


$7,869,864 
16,325,417 


$11,172,738 
17,454,126 


Imports 




Total 


$20,809,103 


$24,195,281 


$28,626,864 







It will be seen that this table shows an increase of trade 
of $7,817,761 in two years. 



COMMERCE. 55 

Smuggling is practiced extensiyely along the northern 
frontier of Mexico. 

Competent judges estimate that the annual loss to the 
Government from this source amounts to $3,000,000. It 
is said that eyen some of the highest officials are implicated 
in schemes for smuggling. 

According to the Official Journal, the total yalue of 
exports for the fiscal year of 1882-'83 was $29,083,000, of 
which about $14,000,000 were sent to the United States, 
and $10,000,000 to England. One half of the exports were 
shipped from Vera Cruz. The amount of sugar and tobacco 
exported was only $617,000 in yalue. 

MOVEMENTS or VESSELS 11^" MEXICAl^ POETS IN" 1879-'80.* 
Flag. No. of vessels. 

Mexican c 2,227 

United States 332 

English _ , 162 

French 115 

German 112 

Spanish 64 

Norwegian 48 

Danish 33 

Dutch 12 

Other flags 26 

Total 3,131 

The total tonnage of yessels entered can be estimated at 
1,000,000. The Mexican merchant marine consists of 421 
yessels engaged in foreign trade, and 847 barks employed 
in coasting. A Mexican line of steamers to England and 
Italy is about to_be established. (For description, see chap- 
ter on Trayeling.) 

* Translated from the Almanack de Gotha, 



66 



GENERAL INFORMATION. 



X. 

Army and Navy. 
Army, — Estimated yearly cost of maintenance, 18,000,- 



000. 



The ^personnel of the army is as follows : 



Infantry, 20 battalions 

Cavalry, 14 regiments 

Artillery, 6 brigades and 5 batteries 

Coast-guard 

Rurales — L e., moanted patrols . . . . 
Invalids 

Total 



Officers. 


Men. 


HO 


12,200 


518 


4,850 


180 


1,645 


22 


71 


150 


1,692 


19 


280 


1,629 


20,738 



Total. 



12,940 

5,368 

1,825 

93 

1,842 

299 



22,367 



Each State has also militia of its own, which takes the 
place of a police force to a considerable extent. All the 
prison-doors are guarded by soldiers, although the keepers 
are civilians. 

The soldiers are armed with Eemington rifles and car- 
bines ; and the sabres used are chiefly of American manu- 
facture. The dress-uniform is of a dark blue. 

Several of the officers of the Mexican army are reformed 
brigands. In some States, where powerful bands of ban- 
ditti defied the authorities for years, the Government has 
finally dispersed them by giving the leader a military com- 
mission, and then sending him to fight against his old 
comrades. 

A large number of the officers who were in the army 
before 1876 are now on the retired list, with pay. They 
retain their rank, without power. The present (Liberal) 
Government deems this policy advisable. 

It may be remarked that Don Agustin Iturbide, the 



DUTIES. 67 

grandson of the Emperor Iturbide, and adopted heir of 
Maximilian, holds a commission in the republican army. 
He studied at Tacubaya, the seat of the National Military 
Academy. 

Navy. — The navy consists of four gunboats. 



XI. 

Duties. 

An" elaborate description of the Mexican tariff would 
be out of place in this guide-book. Suffice it to say, that 
there is an import duty on almost eyerything, except 
agricultural and scientific instruments and books. Up to 
November 1, 1882, machinery was admitted free. It now 
bears a duty of fifty cents per hundred kilogrammes (220 
pounds). Since November 1, 1881, there has been an ad- 
ditional "package " duty on merchandise imported into the 
Republic. Nearly all articles are taxed heavily, especially 
carriages, buggies, and wagons. The traveler, in entering 
the country by his own carriage (either via the Rio Grande 
or otherwise), is obliged to give a bond to secure the amount 
of duties on the vehicle, in case he intends to return to the 
United States. If the bond is not filed, the regular import 
duty must be paid. 

It may be remarked that the Government pays the sub- 
sidies to the various railroads out of the customs duties. 
An amount varying from four to six per cent of the cus- 
toms receipts is pledged, and revenue-bonds are issued 
bearing no interest (see chapter on railroads). At present 
negotiations for a reciprocity treaty are pending between 
the United States of America and Mexico. It is said that 
an extensive revision of the Mexican tariff is about to be 
made, by which the duties will be considerably reduced. 



58 GENERAL INFORMATION 

XII. 

Taxes. 

Ik ancient Mexico tlie public tax was often paid in 
agricultural produce. The taxes are now leyied both by 
the National and State Goyernments. There are also spe- 
cial taxes for railways and other purposes. Every State 
has its own tax levy, which varies from year to year. The 
Federal tax is usually one quarter of the tax paid to the 
State. It is oftentimes very difficult to collect the former, 
as the Eepublic can not sue the State Government for any 
deficiency that may exist. A Federal treasurer, called the 
jefe de hacienda, resides in each of the several States, to 
gather the taxes due the General Government. Taxation 
is very heavy throughout the country, and especially in the 
districts adjoining the route of the American railroads. 



XIII. 

Finance.* (in Dollars.) 

Receipts,— Budget^ ISSS-'SS. 

Custom-houses 15,000,000 

Custom-house of Mexico and excise 2,000,000 

Stamps 4,000,000 

Direct tax 900,000 

Mint 690,000 

Receipts from former fund for public education 60,000 

Post-offices and telegraphs 650,000 

Lotteries 800,000 

Other receipts 3,000,000 

Total 27,100,000 

Receipts from the several States 7,500,000 

Grand total 34,600,000 

* Translated from the Almanack de Gotlia. 



PUBLIC DEBT. 59 

Expenditures. 

Legislative power 1,071,712 

Executive power 48,832 

Supreme Court 389,554 

Foreign affairs 336,280 

Interior 3,235,118 

Justice and public education 1,215,473 

Public works (Fomento) 7,551,683 

Treasury 4,648,377 

War and navy 8,514,478 

Total 27,011,507 

Expenditures of the several States . , . , 7,500,000 

Grand total 34,511,507 



XIV. 
Public Debt. 



1. Foreign debts : 

English debt of Oct. 14, 1850 $89,252,360 

English convention of Dec. 4, 1851 . 5,900,025 
Spanish convention of Dec. 6, 1853. 1,231,775 
Spanish convention of Nov. 12, 

1853 5,553,287 

Indebtedness to the United States 

of July 4, 1868 2,775,123 

$104,712,570 

2. Internal debt 40,241,215 

Total * $144,953,785 

The Mexican Goyernment does not recognize the debts 
as stated by the English and Spanish conventions. All the 
foreign debts, except that due the United States, are about 
to be consolidated, and bonds bearing three per cent in- 
terest, to be receivable for Goyernment lands, adjudicated 

* Translated from the Almanack de Gotha. 



60 GENERAL INFORMATION, 

property, and letters patent, will be issued by the Execu- 
tive to pay off the indebtedness. The details of the set- 
tlement involving the amount recognized are left entirely 
to the Executive. 

The sum of $300,000 is paid annually out of the Na- 
tional Treasury to the United States, on account of the 
debt of July 4, 1868. 

A dispatch from the City of Mexico, dated July 28, 
1883, reads as follows : 

** It is understood that the President has sent to Carlos 
Eivas, in London, a power of attorney to settle with the 
British bondholders, with certain modifications. Bonds to 
the amount of only £15,000,000 are to be issued ; the ad- 
ditional £4,700,000 in bonds, first agreed upon for the ex- 
penses of the bondholders' committee, will not be issued. 
The bonds will be signed in Mexico. The coupons will 
begin bearing interest on July 21, 1884." 



XV. 
Money— Coins. 



Ik the Aztec empire, current money consisted of bits 
of tin, bags of cocoa with a specified number of grains, 
and quills filled with gold-dust.* These commodities were 
used by measure and number, rather than by weight. (See 
Prescott's Conquest of Mexico, vol. i, p. 145, and vol. ii, 
p. 140.) 

The Spaniards introduced gold and silver coins soon 
after their arrival in the country. A few of these old coins 

* Gold-dust has been employed as currency on the Pacific coast of the 
United States for many years. This kind of money was evidently suggested 
to the Spaniards and Americans by the Aztecs. * 



MONEY— COINS. 61 

may be found at the shops of the silversmiths, or platerias, 
at the present day. 

The escutcheon of Mexico, i. e., a royal eagle, with ex- 
panded wings, standing on a cactus, holding a serpent in 
its beak, is stamped on one side of all the silver coins, and 
a liberty-cap and rising sun are found on the reverse. Dur- 
ing the French invasion the bust of Maximilian was substi- 
tuted for the cap of liberty. 

Mexico has followed the example of Spain in adopt- 
ing the decimal system of coinage, of which the real is 
the basis. 

The current coins are as follows : 

SILVER. 

One ^650,* or dollar, containing 8 reales, or 100 cents. 
Four reales, or one toston, 50 cents. 
Two reales, or one peseta, 25 cents. 
One real, 12|- cents. 
One medio, 6i cents. 

COPPER. 

One cuartillo, 3 cents. 
One tlaco, 1^ cent. 

KICKEL. 

Coins of five and two cents, and of one cent, have re- 
cently been issued for general circulation. 

The standard gold coin is the onza, which equals $16 ; 
and there are 110 and 15 gold pieces. They do not circu- 
late, however, so that the traveler will have nothing to do 
with them. 

Paper currency has lately been issued by the Mexican 

* One joeso is worth from 85 to 87 cents in United States money, so that 
a cent is only equivalent to about 8^ mills. 



62 GENERAL INFOBMATIOK 

National and the Mexican Mercantile Banks, and the Lon- 
don Bank of Mexico and Sonth America. 

The Monte de Piedady a Goyernmental corporation, has 
bank-bills from one dollar upward in circulation, which 
are taken at par throughout the Eepublic. Outside of 
the City of Mexico the currency of the other banks is 
received at a discount. This fact should be remembered 
by tourists. 

The London Bank of Mexico and South America will 
cash letters of credit on British and American bankers, and 
a few of the branches (sucursales) of the Banco Nacional 
Mexicano will do likewise. 

Trayelers may also provide themselves with drafts on 
the various diligence offices in the interior of the country, 
by depositing the amount in advance at one of the princi- 
cipal offices. In case of robbery by brigands, the diligence 
company will repay the value of the draft, if it be taken 
from the person of the tourist, upon furnishing satisfactory 
evidence to one of the agents. 

Bankers will give a higher rate of premium on drafts on 
New York than can be had in exchanging money. In Vera 
Cruz, United States money may be exchanged for Mexican 
currency at 113 to 114 cents on the dollar ; and in Monterey 
and near the American frontier, the rate is as high as 115 
cents.* 

In the City of Mexico the banking hours are from 10 
A. M. to 4 p. M., and in other cities from 9 to 12 A. m., and 
from 2 to 4 p. M. 

Up to the year 1883 the Mexican Government has ex- 
acted an export duty of 5 per cent on coin. It is now re- 
mitted. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, the coin 
and bullion exported amounted to $6,631,938. 

* Mexican coin can be purchased on better terms the farther the seller 
is from the country. 



POST-OFFIGE AND LETTERS. 



63 



XYI. 

Mints. 

Theke were formerly fourteen mints in the country, 
the oldest of which is that of the City of Mexico. Visitors 
are admitted to these institutions from 8 to 12 A. M., and 
from 1 to 4 p. m. It is better to go in the morning, as the 
workmen are more commonly employed during this time. 
English machinery is generally used at the mints. 

The following table, taken from Senor Busto's great 
work, gives the coinage of the mints for the fiscal year of 
1878 to 1879 : 



Mints. 


Gold. 


Silver. 


Copper. 


Total. 


Mexico 


$304,500 00 

50,111 00 

212,158 00 


$5,116,000 00 

4,597,939 50 

3,740,403 75 

2,519,110 00 

1,413,161 00 

806,025 00 

891,951 00 

854,882 50 

756,598 15 

555,650 00 

153,610 00 


$14,800 00 


$5,435,300 00 


Zacatecas 


4,648,050 50 


Guanajuato 

San Luis Potosi . . 


.......... 


3,952,561 75 
2,519,110 00 


Guadalajara 

Chihuahua 


3,830 00 


1,500 00 


1,418,491 00 
806,025 00 


Culiacan ....>... 


49,230 00 

23,935 00 

13,700 00 

1,360 00 

3,700 00 




941,181 00 


Duran""0 




878,817' 50 


Alamos 




770,298 15 


Hermosillo . • 




557,010 00 


Oaxaca 




157,310 00 










$662,524 00 


$21,405,330 90 


$16,300 00 


$22,084,154 90 



XVII. 
Fost-Office and Letters. 

Beeoee the Conquest letters were carried throughout 
the realm by swift -footed couriers. The distance from 
Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico, about 200 miles, was 
traversed in twenty-four hours. 



64 GENERAL INFORMATION, 

Eeports and messages were generally transmitted in 
picture-writing. It was in this manner that Montezuma 
learned of the arrival of Cortes and his warriors. 

The yarious lines of steamers now carry the mail along 
the coast, and the railways, diligences, and special couriers, 
transport it into the interior. 

In 1881 the number of post-oflQces in the Eepublic was 
873, and the proceeds from the sale of stamps amounted to 
1500,000 annually. 

In addressing letters, 8r,, Bon, stand for "Mr.," and 
Senora is used as the title for "Mrs." Strangers should 
omit such affixes as " esquire," in directing letters, on ac- 
count of the difficulty the Mexican clerks have in decipher- 
ing foreign names. 

On the arrival of the mail at the post-office, the names 
on the letters are written on lists, and placed on bulletin- 
boards near the door. There are separate lists for letters 
coming from foreign countries, from the interior, and 
from the city or county in which the post-office is situ- 
ated. Sometimes a local letter is i)ut on the foreign 
list by mistake. It will be advisable, therefore, for the 
stranger to look at all the bulletins. If the traveler sees 
his name on the list, he should write it down just as it 
appears on the board, and hand it to the clerk at the 
window. 

Post-offices are generally open from 8 to 12 A. m., and 
from 3 to 9 p. M., throughout the country. In the City 
of Mexico the office hours are from 9 A. m. to 1 p. m., and 
from 3 to 5 p. M. 

Tourists are recommended to go to the post-office in 
person, in depositing or receiving their letters, in order to 
guard against mistakes. 

Public letter- writers do a considerable business on the 
plazas of all the principal cities. Many of the natives can 
not write. In times of revolutions the post-office is of 



POST-OFFICE AND LETTERS. 65 

little use, as the insurgents examine, and often confiscate, 
the correspondence. 

At present, the rates for postage in the interior of 
Mexico are so high that letter-writing is rather expen- 
siye. The foreign are much lower than the domestic 
rates. 

Stamp-tariff. — For single letters to points in the inte- 
rior of the country, not exceeding 16 leagues, the rate is 
10 cents for each quarter of an ounce ; 25 cents for half an 
ounce ; 35 cents for three-quarters of an ounce ; 50 cents 
for each ounce. 

Single letters to points exceeding 16 leagues, 25 cents * 
for each quarter of an ounce ; 35 cents for half an ounce ; 
50 cents for three quarters of an ounce ; and 60 cents for 
each ounce. 

Printed matter in unsealed wrappers, 5 cents a pound, 
or $1.25 for a package weighing one arroba (25 pounds). 

Unsealed business circulars, 5 cents each, or $4 a hun- 
dred. Printed or engraved cards on pasteboard or vellum, 
75 cents a pound. 

For Foreign Letters. — Each half ounce (15 grammes), 
5 cents ; postal-cards, 2 cents each. 

Printed matter of all kinds : 

1 cent for 50 grammes or less. 

2 cents for 100 grammes. 

3 cents for 150 grammes. 

4 cents for 200 grammes and up to 2 kilogrammes. 
Each State in the Republic has its own stamps, with 

particular numbers marked on them. No stamps are al- 
lowed to be taken outside of the post-office, except in the 
city of Vera Cruz. The rules of the department require 
that letters must be delivered at the stamp-window, f where 

* After January 1, 1884, inland postage will be 10 cents for each quarter 
of an ounce. 

f This regulation is of great annoyance to the tourist. 



m GENERAL INFORMATION, 

the amount of postage should be paid. The Government 
officials attach the stamps to the envelopes. In the national 
capital there are various shops, in the business part of the 
city, at which letters will be received and forwarded. 



XYIII. 
Telegraphs. 

Theee are several lines of telegraph in operation through- 
out the Eepublic. The Federal Grovernment has its wires 
all over the country, and the States of Zacatecas, Hidalgo, 
Morelos, and Michoacan, also own telegraph-lines. The 
Mexican Eailway Company, the Mexican JS^ational Eail- 
way Company, the Mexican Central Eailroad Company, 
and the Morelos Eailway Company, have erected lines of 
telegraph. 

It may be remarked that, in the case of the Mexi- 
can National Eailway Company, the General Govern- 
ment reserves the right to put up two wires on its 
poles. 

There are private lines in the States of Jalisco and Vera 
Cruz. That of the latter State extends from the capital to 
the city of Vera Cruz, and is called the Commercial Tele- 
graph Line. A New York corporation, entitled the Mexi- 
can Telegraph Company, has established itself in the 
country ; and there are submarine cables running from 
Mexico to the United States, Central America, and South 
America. 

All the railway stations contain telegraj)h offices, and 
the hours of business are in general from 8 A. M. to 8 p. m. 
The principal offices of the lines belonging to the National 
and State Governments are in the business part of the 
larger cities. English is rarely spoken by the operators ; 



CENSUS. 67 

and the rates for messages are much higher than in the 
United States. 

On the 1st of June, 1883, the total numher of telegraph 
lines in operation amounted to 10,200 miles. The Mexican 
Central and Mexican National Eailroad Companies are 
erecting telegraph-poles as fast as each mile of track is 
completed. In some cases the wires are extended beyond 
the temporary terminus. 



XIX. 

Census. 

No complete census has ever been taken of the Mexican 
Eepublic. The figures given in the public documents are 
generally estimates rather than correct enumerations of the 
inhabitants. 

At the time of Humboldt's visit (in 1803), the total 
population was 5,840,000. 

In 1838, it was 7,044,140 ; in 1856, 7,859,564 ; in 1872, 
9,097,056 ; in 1874, 9,343,470 ; in 1878, 9,384,193 ; in 
1879, 9,577,279 ; in 1882, 10,000,000.* 

In 1803, the number of inhabitants in the three principal 
cities was in Mexico (city), 135,000 ; Puebla, 67,800 ; Gua- 
dalajara, 19,500. 

In 1879, Mexico had a population of 241,110 ; Guada- 
lajara, 78,600 ; Puebla, 64,588. 

The following table, copied from Sen or Busto's great 
work, gives the population of the several States, their 
area and the number of inhabitants to the square kilo- 
metre ; also the population of the capitals of the States, 
in 1879: . 

* This list is taken from Busto's Estadistica de la Bepuhlica Mexi- 
cana. 



68 



GENERAL INFOEMATIOK 



STATES. 



1. Aguascalientes 

2. Lower California (Ter.) 
8. Campeche 

4. Coahuila de Zaragoza . 

5. Colima 

6. Chiapas 

7. Chihuahua 

8. Federal District 

9. Durango.. 

10. Guanajuato 

11. Guerrero 

12. Hidalgo 

13. Jalisco 

14. Mexico 

15. Michoacan de Ocampo 

16. Morelos 

17. Nuevo-Leon 

18. Oaxaca 

19. Puebla 

20. Queretaro de Arteaga 

21. San Luis Potosi. ..... 

22. Sinaloa 

23. Bonora 

24. Tabasco 

25. Tamaiilipas 

26. Tlaxcala 

27. VeraCruz 

28. Yucatan.. 

29. Zacatecas 



.a g 



5,776 

152,847 

67,539 

152,517 

7,136 

43,930 

272,716 

231 

110,463 

20,276 

68,568 

21,693 i 

114,896 

25,245 

55,693] 

4.536! 

38,156 

70,838 

31,120 

8,300 

71,210 

69,211 

209,694 

32.935 

75,191 

3,898 

71,116 

84,585 

68,596 



140,430 
23,195 

86,299 
104,131 

65,827 
219,735 
180,758 
354,340 
190,846 
788,202 
308,716 
434,096 
994,900 
696,038 
648,857 
154,946 
194,861 
718,194 
704,372 
179,915 
506,799 
167,093 
139,140 

93,387 
144,747 
133,498 
504,970 
285,384 
413,603 



1,958,912 9,577,279 



i s a 

S .S (9 

j; •" o< 



24-30 

0-15 

1-28 

0-68 

9-22 

500 

0-66 

1,533-94 

1-73 

88-87 

4-50 

20-01 

8-66 

27-57 

11-65 

34-16 

511 

10-14 

22-68 

21-68 

7-12 

2-411 

0-66 

2-84 

1-92 

34-25 

7-10 

3-37 

6-03 



Capitals of the States. 



4-89 



Aguascalientes 

La Paz 

Campeche 

Saltillo 

Colima 

San Cristobal las Casas 

Chihuahua 

Mexico, cap. of the Eep. . . 

Durango 

Guanajuato 

Chilpancingo de los Bravos. 

Pachuca de Guerrero 

Guadalajara 

Toluca 

Morelia 

Cuernavaca 

Monterey 

Oaxaca de Juarez 

Puebla de Zaragoza 

Quer6taro 

San Luis Potosi 

Culiacan 

Ures 

San Juan Bautista 

Ciudad Victoria 

Tlaxcala 

Jalapa 

Merida 

Zacatecas 



s 5 



^■a 



81,872 

2,396 

15,190 

11,340 

23,572 

8,500 

12,116 

241,110 

27,119 

56,112 

3,800 

12,500 

78,600 

12,300 

20,400 

16,320 

15,300 

26,228 

64,588 

27,560 

34,300 

7,878 

9,700 

6,800 

7,800 

4,300 

12,400 

32,000 

32,000 



854,101 



XX. 

Population. 

The population of Mexico is divided into four great 
castes, as follows : 

Whites (individuals born in Europe, Spanish Creoles 
born in America) ; Indians ; negroes ; a mixed race (mesti- 
zos from whites and Indians, mulattoes from whites and 
negroes, zambos from Indians and negroes). 

The Indians outnumber the other inhabitants. They 
are variously estimated at from one half to three quarters 
of the entire population. They are a long-lived race, small 



ARCHITECTURE. 69 

in stature, but possessing great endurance. Thus far the 
Indians have not been affected by foreign influence. It is 
very difficult to give a correct estimate of the number of 
foreigners in the country. We are disposed to believe that 
it does not exceed 100,000. The foreign population con- 
sists chiefly of French, Spaniards, Americans, Germans, 
Italians, and English. They live mostly in the cities of 
Mexico, Vera Cruz, Puebla, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Mon- 
terey, and Guaymas. The Mexicans reside principally in 
cities and towns. In the rural districts the traveler will 
find some haciendas, or farm-houses, at a distance from any 
settlement, but isolated dwellings are rarely met with. 
Except along the trunk-lines of railroad, one can ride fif- 
teen or twenty miles in many parts of the Republic with- 
seeing a house. 

XXI. 

Architecture. 

The architecture of the ruined palaces and temples of 
Mexico is described in the chapter on ruins. It may be 
said, however, that the former resemble the buildings of 
the ancient Greeks and Romans in ornamentation, and the 
latter are not unlike the pyramids of Egypt in external ap- 
pearance. 

The prevailing style of modern architecture through- 
out the Republic is the Spanish renaissance. Almost every 
cathedral and church in the country are built in this fash- 
ion. The facades of the churches often contain beau- 
tiful stone carvings of figures of the saints, and also 
arabesque work. Mexico, Puebla, Morelia, and Guadala- 
jara, contain cathedrals that compare favorably with those 
of any other cities in the world. The plans of most of 
the Mexican churches were drawn in Spain. The build- 
ings used for secular purposes, especially those belonging 



p 



ARCHITECTURE. 71 



to the Government, are imposing and commodious. The 
largest edifice in Mexico is the national palace at the capi- 
tal. It has two high stories and a frontage of 675 feet. 

Most of the houses have one story, and are provided 
"with a patio, or courtyard, in which flowers and fruit-trees 
are planted. The roofs are generally covered with tiles, of 
which red is the prevailing color. In the principal cities a 
second story is added ; but in the capital, and in the min- 
ing towns of Guanajuato and Zacatecas, where land is quite 
valuable, the buildings contain three, and often four (in- 
cluding the entresol), floors. While the larger edifices are 
constructed of igneous rocks, such as porous amygdaloid, 
trachyte, and porphyry, the dwelling-houses are usually 
made of brick and stuccoed. The roofs of the former are 
flat, and commonly furnished with a low wall, whereas those 
of the latter slant from the ridge-piece and are provided 
with eaves. In some cities the eaves are of sufiicient size 
to afford protection to the pedestrian from the sun and 
rain. 

As a rule, all buildings in Mexico are erected in the 
most substantial manner. The walls are of great thick- 
ness, and cellars are rarely seen. The windows are gen- 
erally covered with railings of Biscay iron, reminding the 
traveler of Spain. Balconies are added to those above the 
ground-floor. Many private residences of the better class 
have porte-coclieres, and a fountain in the paved court- 
yards. The dry climate is favorable to the endurance of 
the edifices, and many houses built soon after the Conquest 
are still in a fair state of preservation. 

In the villages on the table-land, the most common 
building material is adohe, or sun-dried brick. The 
peasants living in the tierra caliente and tierra templada, 
commonly use sugar-cane stalks and palm-leaves in making 
their huts. 

Tourists are advised to spend much of their time in 



72 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

visiting the churclies. The cathedrals are generally pro- 
vided with two towers, from which a fine view of the city 
may be obtained. These religious edifices are usually 
built in the form of a Latin cross, and the interior is 
seldom frescoed. The traveler soon grows weary of the 
white plastered walls, on which indifferent paintings are 
frequently hung. 

The cathedral of Puebla has a stone floor, while that of 
Mexico is of wood, which seems out of place in comparison 
with the solid magnificence of the building. The objects 
of interest in a Spanish church are : the high altar, the 
stalls in the choir, the lateral chapels, and the relics and 
vestments in the sacristy. 

The following terms applied to different portions of 
churches will be found useful : 

Fachadas, fa9ades ; lonjay a long platform, which often 
surrounds the churches exteriorly, and which is ascended 
by steps or grees, escalinata or gradas. 

The font is pila hautismal. 

Pila de agua hendita is the stoup, or font, containing 
holy water ; coro, is the choir ; trascoro, the back to it, 
often profusely decorated ; the respaldos del coro are the 
lateral sides of it. 

The stalls are sillas, forming sillaria alta, or haja, as 
the case may be. 

The choristers' desks are called atriles ; the lectern, 
facistol, and the transept, crucero. Over it often rises a 
dome or lantern, which is called cimboriOy and, from its 
shape, media naranja. 

The purclose, or railings, rejas, are often beautifully 
executed, and made of silver. 

The ahside contains a capilla mayor, with the high 
alfcar, altar mayor ; the reredos, or screen rising from it, is 
named the retaUo. The latter are commonly exquisitely 
gilded. The right side of the altar — i, e., the right of the 



PAINTING. 73 

celebrant, looking from the altar — is called lado del evan- 
gelio ; the left is lado de la epistola. 

The chapter is el cahildo. 

The sagrario is a special chapel, where the Holy of 
Holies is often placed, de manifiesto, or displayed. 

The vestry is la sacristia ; the sexton, sacristan. 

The relics, vestments, plate, etc., are kept in what is 
called el relicario. 

Monaguillos are the vestry boys, 

Misa mayor is high mass. 

The belfry is la torre or el campanario. 



XXII. 

Painting. 

The art of painting was rudely known among the Az- 
tecs, whose means of conveying information was called 
picture-writing. Unfortunately for learning as well as 
for art, Zumarraga, the first bishop of Mexico, ordered all 
Aztec paintings and manuscripts to be committed to the 
flames. There are, however, a few specimens of these an- 
tique pictures in the museum at the national capital. 
There are but two academies of fine arts in the Eepublic, 
one at the City of Mexico, and one at Guadalajara. Art 
schools are connected with each, and another has been es- 
tablished at Puebla. 

The academy of San Carlos, at the capital, contains 
paintings of considerable merit. Among the best Mexican 
artists are Jose and Luis Juarez, Baltazar de Chave, Obre- 
gon, Parra, Arteaga, Eodriguez, Ibarra, and Cabrera, the 
latter being an Indian. There are several excellent por- 
traits of illustrious Mexicans in the 8ala de Emiajadores 
at the National Palace, most of them having been painted 
by Segredo and Obregon. 



74 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

The churclies throughout the country are full of pic- 
tures, most of which are the work of Spanish artists, such 
as Murillo, Velasquez, Zurbaran, and Eibera. There are 
paintings by the former in the cathedrals of Mexico and 
Puebla, and in the church of La Compania at the latter city. 

The picturesque landscapes and street scenes of Mexico 
afford good material for artists, and we would recommend 
the country to them as a new field of labor. 



xxni. 
Immigration. 

The Mexican Goyernment has recently adopted a com- 
prehensiye plan for the encouragement of immigration. 
Agents are employed to bring settlers into the country. 
There is a bonus of from forty to fifty dollars a head for 
each immigrant, and the Government gives each helpless 
one an allowance of twenty-five cents a day till he can sup- 
port himself. Many Italians have come into Mexico. Some 
have been brought from New York, and others directly 
from the ports of Northern Italy. This scheme, however, 
is not productive of beneficial results. Each immigrant is 
maintained at the public expense for an indefinite period, 
and there is little incentive to work. Furthermore, a 
number of these Italian settlers belong to the criminal 
classes. A Mexican official of high rank has lately in- 
formed the author that this plan is about to be discon- 
tinued. 

The Mexican Transatlantic Steamship Company * will 
receive thirty dollars a head for each immigrant. 

As the Federal Government owns but little land, of 
which sections may be given to settlers, arrangements have 
been made with the railroads to carry immigrants to the 

* The company's steamers are now in progress on the Clyde. 



IMMIGRATION. 75 

interior at reduced rates. The Government will pay for 
tlieir passage ; but, as the metes and bounds of the public 
lands are not accurately defined, it would seem as if no 
lands could be giyen away at present. 

Senor M. Romero states, in The International Revieio 
for November, 1882, that land in the State of Chiapas is 
valued at twenty cents an acre, while that in Sonora is 
worth only five cents. 

Land is not for sale, however, in large quantities, ex- 
cepting a few stock-ranches in Northern Mexico. The 
proprietors are still sufficiently imbued with feudal notions 
to prompt them to hold on to their real estate. A few 
families still retain immense tracts. One hacendado is 
said to own an area of 10,000 square miles on the northern 
part of the Great Plateau. 

The railroad companies have occasionally been obliged 
to pay very high for a site on which to build a station and 
freight-house in the farming districts. 

We venture to predict that settlers will pour into Mex- 
ico rapidly after the American trunk-lines are completed. 

It is obvious, however, that the introduction of intelli- 
gent Americans, with capital, will be a very different thing 
from the influx of poverty-stricken peasants or miners from 
Europe. 

American immigration means permanent colonization, 
whereas that from other countries will hardly attain that 
distinction. 

It is possible, however, that colonies of German or Brit- 
ish miners may be established in Mexico. High wages and 
the salubrious climate will tend to attract them. During 
the year 1882 settlements of Europeans were founded in 
the States of Vera Cruz, Puebla, Morelos, and San Luis 
Potosi. The majority will certainly enter the Republic 
with the intention of engaging in either mining or manu- 
facturing enterprises. 



76 GENERAL IFFORMATIGN, 

XXIV. 
Mines. 

Ak elaborate description of the mineral wealth of Mex- 
ico wonld require a large yolume. We haye only space foi 
a brief account of the mines, together with some statistics 
of the production of the precious metals. 

The Cordillera, from Chihuahua on the north to Oaxacs 
on the south, contains almost inexhaustible deposits oi 
gold, silver, iron, copper, and lead ; while zinc, mercury^j 
tin, platinum, and coal occur in a few localities. The 
greatest yariety of ores is found in the States of Sonora, 
Chihuahua, Michoacan, Guerrero, and Oaxaca. The firsl 
and last named States of the Eepublic possess auriferoi 
grayel or placer deposits. 

Before the Conquest the mines of gold, silyer, copper, anc 
tin were worked by the Aztecs ; but the accounts usuall] 
giyen of the fabulous amount of gold used by this race oi 
people, either for ornament or as money, have been greatlj 
exaggerated. Cortes seized a large sum of gold at the an-j 
cient capital of Mexico, the amount of which is yarioush 
estimated by different authors. The most accurate writei 
place the figures at $300,000. As soon as the Spaniards 
had conquered Mexico, they turned their attention to the 
deyelopment of the mineral wealth of the country. The 
mines of Tasco, Zultej^ec, Pachuca, San Pedro de Jorullo, 
and Tlalpujahua were almost the only ones that were 
worked directly after the destruction of the city of Tenoch- 
titlan in 1521, and from that time to 1548, when the silver 
deposits of Zacatecas were discovered. 

Argentiferous veins constitute the principal part of the 
mineral wealth of Mexico, the silver generally occurring 
in the form of sulphides. The gangue is chiefly quartz. 
Most of these mines are situated between north latitude 
19° and 24^°. 



MINES. 77 

Humboldt, in his Political Essay on New Spain, yoI. 
iii, page 138, states the order of the districts containing the 
richest deposits of silver as follows : 1. Guanajuato. 2. 
Catorce. 3. Zacatecas. 4. Eeal del Monte. 5. Bolaiios. 
6. Guarisamey. 7. Sombrerete. 8. Tasco. 9. Batopilas. 
10. Zimapan. 11. Fresnillo. 12. Kamos. 13. Parral. 

In 1803,* the mean annual yield of the precious metals 
amounted to 2,500,000 marcs of silver, and 700 marcs of 
gold. It is said that the total product of the Mexican 
mines up to the year 1880 is equal to $3,700,000,000 of 
silver. We should remember, however, that some of these 
mines are now on American soil, e. g., those of California, 
New Mexico, and Arizona. The yield of silver for 1882 
can be roughly estimated at $20,000,000, while that of 
gold amounts to about 11,000,000. f Millions of dollars' 
worth of silver have long been and are now being exported 
to Europe. Humboldt states, in his work on New Spain, 
that two thirds of the silver supply of the whole world was 
annually shipped from the port of Vera Cruz, between the 
years 1800 and 1812, and some silver was also sent abroad 
from Acapulco. At present about fourteen millions' worth 
of this metal are annually exported to Europe. (Compare 
with chapter on commerce.) 

The supply of silver in Mexico is now derived chiefly 
from the mines of Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Sombrerete, Ca- 
torce, and Pachuca. Gold generally occurs in small quan- 
tities with the silver-ores. But most of it is lost in the 
process of reduction. 

According to Humboldt, the joint yield of the Zacatecas 
and Guanajuato mines from 1548 to 1600 was 12,000,000, 
and from 1600 to 1690 it was $3,000,000. The ores at the 

* At the time of Humboldt's visit. 

f The production of the mines of the United States for the fiscal year 
of 1882-'83 was $47,000,000 of silver and |32,000,000 of gold, given in 
round numbers. 



78 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

former locality, as well as at Tasco and Oatorce, are poor in 
gold ; wliile those of the latter town, and also at Guadalupe 
y Oalvo, are rich in their percentage of the same metal. 

Perhaps the two most remarkable mineral yeins of North 
America, excepting the famous Comstock lode of Nevada, 
are the veta madre of Guanajuato and the vet a grande of 
Zacatecas. These yeins haye been worked for about three 
hundred years. ( Vide section on the Mexican Central Rail- 
road, for description.) The region adjoining these mining 
towns is an eleyated desert, similar to the environs of Vir- 
ginia City in Nevada. 

Next to argentiferous deposits in importance are the 
immense beds of iron, which consist principally of the ox- 
ides called magnetite and hematite. The well-known Cerro 
del Mercado, in the State of Durango, has been calculated to 
contain sixty million cubic yards of iron-ore, having a spe- 
cific weight of five billion quintals. An analysis of this ore 
by Mr. M. H. Borje, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, gave 
QQ per cent of pure metal. There are other vast hills of 
iron in Sonora, near Coalcoman, in Michoacan, and in the 
central part of the State of Oaxaca. 

Lead-ores, usually in the form of galena and oftentimes 
argentiferous, are abundant throughout the country. 

Copper, either native or as oxide, carbonate, or sulphide, 
is mined at various localities in Chihuahua and Oaxaca, at 
the towns of Mazapil and Jalapa, and near the volcano of 
Jorullo. 

The oxide of tin is found in veins and alluvial beds at 
Durango. 

Mercury occurs combined with sulphur, i. e., cinnabar, 
in the States of Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Michoacan, 
Oaxaca, Chihuahua, and Guanajuato. Zinc-ores are met 
with in Chihuahua ; and platinum, antimony, cobalt, and 
nickel come from the same State. These last-named metals, 
however, are not found in large quantities. 



MINES. 79 

There are beds of coal in various parts of Mexico, but 
principally in the States of Oaxaca, Vera Cruz, Mexico, 
Puebla, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and Sonora. Anthracite 
of good quality is mined in the latter State,* and a fair qual- 
ity of it is worked in the northern parts of Tamaulipas and 
ISTuevo Leon. Some of this coal is burned in the engines 
of the Mexican National Railway. Lignite or brown coal 
occurs in many localities, but it is not used to any extent. 
We have stated elsewhere, f that coal is imported in large 
quantities, owing to the scarcity of fuel near the lines of 
the railroads. It may be added that an extensive mine of 
coal would be of more value to Mexico at present than one 
of gold. 

As regards the cost and methods of mining in Mexico, 
it may be remarked, that the art has not yet attained the 
high degree of perfection known in Europe and the United 
States. Humboldt stated in 1803, that subterranean geom- 
etry was mostly unknown, and that, as a rule, the means 
of communication between contiguous mines were badly 
arranged. Millions have been expended in developing the 
mineral wealth of Guanajuato and Zacatecas. It is said 
that the Count de Valenciana dug three pits in a single 
mine near the former city, at the cost of 11,700,000 {vide 
p. 266). 

Owing to the low price of labor and the very econom- 
ical methods of the natives, more can be accomplished 
for a given amount of money at present, by working the 
metallic mines on the old Mexican plan, than by the 
modern and improved system. ( Vide chapter on labor and 
wages. ) 

Thus far, few shafts have been sunk to a greater depth 
than one thousand feet. Steam-hoisting works, pumps, 
and tramways in the various levels of the mines are rarely 

* See Section X in Part Second. 
f In Section II of Part Second. 



80 



GENERAL INFORMATION. 



used. Malacates, or large horse-whims, are substituted for 
the former ; and water is raised in large skins attached 
to ropes. The peons carry pieces of ore weighing from 
one hundred to two hundred pounds on their backs from 
the "headings" of the levels to the main shaft, where the 
mineral is hoisted in huge baskets. 




Longitudinal View of Timbered Level. 



Iron drills of domestic manufacture and tipped with 
steel are still used by the peons. A few foreigners are em- 
ployed at high wages in the mines of Chihuahua and the 
neighboring States, and also at the town of Pachuca, but 
they generally occupy positions like that of superintendent 
or engineer. American mine-owners in Mexico admit that 
the "jackass" mode "of mining of the natives is cheaper 
than the European methods. 

The Mexican miners are not much annoyed by heat nor 
by water. Humboldt found the temperature at the bottom 
of the Valenciana mine, then 1,681 feet deep, to be 93° 
Fahr. The miners descend in the shafts, either by means 



MIFES, 81 

of massiye stone steps that have been used for ages, as in 
Guanajuato, or on a series of ladders, as at Zacatecas. 

Peons pick the ore oyer by hand at the surface and sep- 
arate the gangue with small hammers. The ore is then 
carried to the reducing-mills on mule-back. 

Most of the mines and mills are inclosed by high walls, 
and the peo7is are searched before being allowed to leave. 
It is very common to conceal valuable fragments of gold or 
silver-bearing rock in the clothing, or in the hair, or under 
the arms, of the miners. (See chapter on Guanajuato in 
Section V.) The argentiferous ores of Mexico have been 
worked by the patio, or cold amalgamation jorocess, for 
about three centuries. Mule-power is used almost entirely 
in the haciendas de beneficios or reducing-mills. * ( Vide 
chapter on Guanajuato, in Section V, Part Second, for a 
description of the patio process. ) 

Mines in Mexico belong to individuals and not to the 
Government. If abandoned, however, they revert to the 
State. In order to hold a mine, the owner is required to 
work it during four months of the year. Should the pro^ 
prietor neglect to observe this law, the property is "de- 
nounced," i. e., escheats to the State, and it is soon adver- 
tised for sale. Sometimes valuable mines can be purchased 
for a mere song at a Government sale. 

Foreigners intending to invest in Mexican mines should 
employ a competent mining engineer to examine them, and 
should also exercise extreme caution in dealing with the 
owners, as Mexicans will not dispose of mining property 
unless they can make a very good bargain. At present very 
few mines in Mexico are paying dividends. 

In closing this chapter, it may be said that, if the tour- 
ist desires to visit the mines of the Eepublic, he will be 
treated with great courtesy by the superintendents and 

* One steam-mill with improved machinery has been erected at Guana- 
juato. 



82 GEI^ERAL INFORMATION. 

miners generally. The morning is the best time to go 
underground. 

For the conyenience of travelers, we give a brief list of 
mining terms : 

Socabon, gallery or main adit ; tiro, shaft ; malacate, 
horse-whim ; escalas, ladders ; pefla or piedra, rock ; guija, 
quartz ; veta, vein ; mineral, ore ; ancJio, wide ; angosta, 
narrow; oro, gold; plata, silver; coire, copper; Uerro, 
iron ; azogue, quicksilver ; plomo, lead ; estano, tin ; azulfre, 
sulphur ; caliza, limestone ; hronce, pyrites. 

What kind of rock is it ? Como se llama esa piedra 9 
How wide is the vein ? Que anclmra tiene la veta 9 Ten 
inches wide. Diez pulgadas de ancho. How deep is the 
shaft ? Que profundidad tiene el tiro 9 I wish to see the 
mine. Quiero ver el interior de esta mina. Can I enter ? 
Puedo yo entrar ? 

Thanks, gracios. 

For further information on the metallic resources of 
Mexico, consult Humboldt's work on New Spain, vol. iii 
especially ; Ward's Mexico ; Whitney's Metallic Wealth of 
the United States ; and Busto's Estadistica de la Republica 
Mexicana. 

XXY. 

Mineral Springs. 

MiKERAL springs abound on the table-land of Mexico. 
Perhaps the best-known springs are at the city of Aguas- 
calientes, where a large bathing establishment has been 
erected. Ojos calientes, or hot sj)rings, are found in many 
places, not only in the vicinity of the volcanoes, but at 
great distances from them. These places are not as yet 
used extensively as resorts for invalids, but it is believed 
that they will be visited for this purpose when rendered 
accessible by railroads. 



GEOLOGY. 83 

XXVI. 
Geology. 

This chapter may be read in connection with that on 
mines. Much has been written by Europeans and Ameri- 
cans on the geology of Mexico. But, interesting as the 
subject is, we have only space for an outline of the for- 
mation and physical structure of the country. A large 
part of Mexico is overlaid by igneous rocks, which consist 
chiefly of trachyte, feldspar - porphyry, and amygdaloidal 
basalt. 

In the Sierra Madre, the metamorphic rocks, such as 
granite, gneiss, and clay-slate, are common. The great 
argentiferous veins frequently occur in the latter rock, al- 
though sometimes in porphyry, e. g., at Eeal del Monte, or 
in talcose slate, e. g., some mines at Guanajuato. 

Limestone is found at Tasco and Orizaba. It is ex- 
tensively quarried at the latter town. The same rock 
constitutes the greater part of the eastern branch of the 
Cordillera between San Luis Potosi and Monterey. Ac- 
cording to Dr. Wislizenus, the limestone at Saltillo be- 
longs to the Silurian age. The lower part of the tierra 
caliente consists mostly of alluvial soil, although in a few 
places rocky ridges extend to the coast, e. g., at Aca- 
pulco. 

We have referred to the localities of the ores of the 
principal metals and of coal in the chapter on mines. 
Deposits of nitre, kaolin, common salt, and Glauber's salt, 
or sulphate of soda, are abundant on the table-land. Petro- 
leum occurs plenteously in the States of Vera Cruz, Puebla, 
Tabasco, and Oaxaca. Sulphur is found at the volcanoes, 
especially those of Popocatepetl and Orizaba. A large sup- 
ply is now obtained from the former. 

It is said that Cortes's warriors descended into the crater 



84 



GENERAL INFOBMATION. 



of Popocatepetl to procure sulphur for the manufacture of 
gunpowder. The abundance of hot springs on the Mexi- 
can plateau has already been mentioned (see p. 82). 

The Yolcanoes are perhaps the most interesting features 
in the geology of Mexico to travelers. There are four 
active * volcanoes in the Eepublic ; but no eruption has 
occurred in any of them during the present century. Earth- 




TTie Peak of Orizaba 

quakes are common in the vicinity, however, and solfataras, 
fumaroles emitting hot aqueous vapor, and adjoining warm 
springs, indicate that these volcanoes are still in a semi- 
active state. 

Beginning on the western coast, the Mexican volcanoes 
are : Colima, Jorullo, Popocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl, Orizaba, 
and Tuxtla. The heights of these mountains are given in 
Part Second. 

Humboldt, who was the first scientific observer to make 
an extensive geological reconnaissance of Mexico, has re- 

* By the term " active " we mean those volcanoes in which an eruption 
has taken place within the memory of man. 



GEOLOGY. 85 

marked that the volcanoes just named lie on the same great 
vent of the earth's crust, and approximately on the nine- 
teenth parallel of north latitude {vide Cosmos, vol. v, p. 
377, et seq.). 

The most important geological event in Mexico since 
the Spanish Conquest is the elevation of the volcano of 
Jorullo, which took place in the year 1759 (see Section IV, 
in Part Second, for a long account of it). The description 
of Jorullo explains, in a general way, the manner in which 
volcanic mountains are formed. 

There are still many parts of the Mexican Eepuhlic 
where the hammer of the geologist has not yet sounded, 
because scientists have thus far confined their observations 
chiefly to the vicinity of the metallic deposits and the vol- 
canoes. A great variety of minerals and precious stones is 
found in Mexico. Senor Busto states that the number of 
mineral species is three hundred and sixty-five, the majority 
of which occur as ores. 

We have not sufficient space in this volume to give the 
complete list, but among the gems of the country we may 
mention the ruby, diamond, opal, topaz, emerald, garnet, 
agate, carnelian, and tecali, or so-called Mexican onyx, which 
is a variegated calcite. 

For further information on the geology of Mexico, the 
reader is referred to Humboldt's Cosmos and JVew Spain ; 
Busto's Estadistica de la RepuUica Mexicana ; Burkart's 
Aufenthalt und Reisen in Mexico in den JaJiren 1825- 
1834 ; Wislizenus, Memoir of a Tour to Northern Mexico; 
and various articles in the American Journal of Science 
and Arts, in the Annales des Mines, in Poggendorff's An- 
nalen, and several other French and German scientific peri- 
odicals. 



86 GENERAL INFORMATION, 

XXVII. 
Zoology. 

Owing to the variety of climate of tlie three zones of 
Mexico, \h.Q fauna of each one differs greatly. 

Among the animals indigenous to the country, large 
mammals are yery rare. The most common species are the 
black bear, or oso ; the deer, or venado ; the Mexican wolf, 
or coyote ; the marten, or camomiotte ; the otter, or nutria ; 
the squirrel, or urion ; the porcupine, or lioitzlacuatzin ; the 
skunk, or gatomontes (of which there are four yarieties) ; 
and two kinds of the hare, or lielres. One of these was 
called the jackass-rabbit by the United States troops dur- 
ing the Mexican War. 

Several other rodents, the armadillo, the shrew-mole, or 
topo, and the opossum, or zorra mocliilera, also abound. 

Besides the domestic fowls, two hundred kinds of birds, 
including eagles, hawks, ravens, wild turkeys, and buzzards, 
are found in the Eepublic. 

Eeptiles are comparatively scarce on the table-land, but 
are abundant in the tierra templada and tierra caliente. 
Turtles {tortugas de mar) are common in the Gulf of 
Mexico, the clielonia i7nbricatay which furnishes the well- 
known tortoise-shell of commerce, occurring near the east- 
ern coast. 

Alligators {lagartos) live in the swamps of the southern 
States. 

Lizards {lagartijas) are plentiful in the hot zone. The 
iguana (Lacerta igua7ia, Linnaeus) sometimes grows to a 
length of three feet. Another species of lizard, known as 
the alcatelepon, being about fifteen inches long, and having 
a rough gray skin, is found in tlie country. Its bite is 
painful, though not dangerous. 

Snakes (serpientes) occur in the various zones, but prin- 



ZOOLOGY. 



87 



cipally in the tierra caliente. Poisonous serpents are un- 
known at an elevation above seven thousand feet. Both 
land and fresh-water snakes exist in Mexico. The most 

common species are the rat- 
tlesnake, or cascabel; the 
darting-snake, or sal Wo ; 
the black-snake, or culebra ; 
and the centoatl, whose skin 
shines in the dark. 

Among the sirens, the 
siredon, or axolotl, having 
a length of ten to fifteen 
inches, is found in the 
Lake of Texcoco, and in 
lagoons of the adjoining 
mountains. During the 
war of the Conquest, the 
axolotl was so plentiful that 
Cortes is said to have fed 
his army upon it. 

The many fresh-water 
lakes of Mexico are well 
stocked with fish (pescado), 
the principal kinds being 
the bass, eel, trout, white- 
fish, and dagre. The flesh 
of the latter is delicious and 
is extensively used for food. 
The waters along the coast 
of the Eepublic likewise af- 
ford a great variety. 
The red mullet, or mujol, is a favorite article of food among 
the Mexicans. It was this kind of fish that was carried by 
swift-footed couriers from Vera Cruz to the ancient capital, 
a distance of two hundred miles, for Montezuma's table. 




88 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

There are infinite numbers of species of insects in tlie 
country. Many are poisonous, and the bites of others are 
very painful. 

Butterflies (mariposas) and ants (Jiormigas) exist in 
great variety. 

The arriera, or carrying-ant, is very injurious to agri- 
culture. The black and red ant are abundant, and their 




1. Cochineal Insects on branch of Cactus. 2. Female Insect. 3. Male Insect. 

sting produces much pain. There are six kinds of bees 
{abejas). 

Among the worms may be mentioned the teocuilin, 
which possesses the properties of the cantliarides, and the 
temaliuani, whose bite is venomous. 

Ticks (reznos), mosquitoes (mosquitos), jiggers {neguas), 
and momquiles, are common in the tierra caliente. The 
latter burrow under the skin, causing great suffering (see 
p. 156). 

The cochineal, or cochinilla, is found extensively in Oa- 
xaca. Fleas {pulgas) are plentiful throughout the country. 



BOTANY. 89 

The silk- worm {gusano de seda) is raised in the south- 
ern states. 

Among the aracJinida of Mexico are the scorpion (es- 
corpion or alacran) and tarantula, which are found in all 
the zones. 

The centipede {escolopendra or cientopies) occasionally 
grows to a length of eighteen inches, and is abundant in 
the tierra templada and tierra caliente. 

In the sub-kingdom of mollusca, we will mention only 
the pearl-oyster, which occurs on the Pacific coast. The 
pearl (perla) fishery at La Paz, in Lower California, is 
of some importance. The fauna of Mexico has not thus 
far been fully described. 



XXVIII. 
Botany. 

The flora of Mexico consists of an infinite variety of 
species, on account of the configuration of the country. 
There is, perhaps, not a single plant known to science that 
can not be grown in the Eepublic. 

The three zones have each a different flora, which may 
be described as follows : 

In the tierra caliente, the plants consist mostly of tropi- 
cal fruits, cocoa-palms, dye-woods, sugar-cane, indigo, and 
cotton. 

In the tierra templada, there are bamboo and camphor- 
trees, oaks, cypresses, coffee, tobacco, and the cereals. 

In the tierra fria, are found deciduous trees, and coni- 
fera like the pine, spruce, cedar, and fir, and the various 
species of cactus. 

Wheat and a few vegetables also grow in the latter 
region. 

Much logwood and Brazil-wood are found in the States 



90 



GENERAL INFORMATION. 



of Tabasco,* Chiapas, and Oampeclie ; and in Sinaloa, ma- 
hogany, rose-wood, and ebony are abundant. 

There are extensive forests in the States of Sonora, Chi- 
huahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Jalisco, Michoacan, and Chiapas, 
and in the neighborhood of the volcanoes of Popocatepetl 
and Orizaba. We have referred elsewhere to the forests 
that once existed in the valley of Mexico {vide Section III 
of Part Second). 

During the winter season the deciduous trees on the 




Indigo Plant {Anil). 



table-land shed their leaves, which are replaced by a new 
growth within a few weeks. 

There is a great variety of fruits in the tierra caliente, 
among which are many species which are rarely seen m 
temperate climates, such as the granadita, mamey, and 
cTiirimoya. 

* The ek, caoha, aeum, evano^ chimay, chulul, copal, and other woods 
grow in the State of Tabasco. 



AGRICULTURE. 



91 



The most abundant fruits are oranges, limes, bananas, 
and pineapples. 

Flowers are cheap and plentiful at all seasons. Some 
species bloom on the great plateau. Dahlias and roses are 
most common in the parks 
and gardens of the cities. 

The country possesses many- 
other beautiful flowering plants 
that are known only to Euro- 
peans in the botanic gardens, 
such as the clavel, fiorijoondio, 
and azucena. 

We may sum up the flora 
of Mexico as follows : There 
are fifty-six kinds of building- 
woods and twenty-one kinds 
of ^^ cabinet "-wood; four va- 
rieties of gum and three of 
resin ; twelve kinds of forage ; 
one hundred species of odor- 
iferous flowers, and fifty-two 
of cereals and vegetables ; eighty-seven kinds of fruit, and 
one hundred and thirteen species of medicinal plants. 

There are in all ten thousand known families of plants, 
many of which are of no economical importance. The prin- 
cipal trees and shrubs of the country are referred to in the 
itineraries of Part Second. 




Brazil- Wood — Leaves^ Flower^ 
and Fruit. 



XXIX. 

Agriculture. 

AccoKDiKa to Prescott,* agriculture in the Aztec Em- 
pire was in the same state of advancement as the other arts 

* Conquest of Mexico^ vol. i, p. 134. 



92 



GENERAL information: 



of social life. In the natural openings of the primeval 
forest, or in a fertile strip of interval, the Aztecs planted 
beans and Indian corn. 

All, except the nobles and soldiery, cultivated the soil, 
the work being done chiefly by the men. 

The more important branches of husbandry were the 
culture of the banana, which was easily grown and gave 
exuberant returns ; the production of chocolatl from the 
cocoa-palm ; the cultivation of the vanilla, which was con- 
fined to a small strip of the 
sea-coast; and the plant- 
ing of maize and the ma- 
guey, Prescott calls the 
latter *^a miracle of na- 
ture," on account of the 
large number of articles 
that are made from it. 
The Aztecs pressed the 
stalks of Indian corn to 
obtain the sap for sugar. 
There is no evidence that 
the tillage of the country 
was materially improved 
by the Spanish Conquest. 
Nevertheless, it must 
be admitted that agricul- 
ture is still in its infancy in the various parts of Mexico. 
This is due to the persistency of the peons in making use of 
the rude implements of their forefathers. Fortunately, an 
easily worked and fertile soil generally exists in the Eepub- 
lic. Frost occurs only on the table-land, and is rare in 
many portions of it. All kinds of cereals, vegetables, and 
fruits are cultivated in the country, but the absence of 
facilities for cliea]! transportation in some of the States is 
a great drawback. 




The Vanilla Plant. 



AGRICULTURE, 



93 



The products of the three geographical divisions of 
Mexico may be briefly stated as follows : In the hot region, 
cotton, yanilla, indigo, rice, hemp, sarsaparilla, peppers, 
bene-seed, anise-seed, caoutchouc, cocoa, cassia, oranges. 




India-ruhher Plant {Hule). 

bananas, and other tropical fruits grow to perfection. Sev- 
eral of these plants thrive without tillage. In the temper- 
ate region, coffee, sugar, tobacco, cotton, brown beans,* 
peas, and a few other vegetables, and the fruits of north- 
ern latitudes are cultivated. In the cold region, the cereals, 
the maguey, or aloe, and the hardy vegetables, as potatoes, 
carrots, beans, etc., are found. ( Vide chapter on botany.) 

Wheat t grows at as high an elevation as 8,500 feet in 
the latitude of the capital ; and maize and the maguey may 
be cultivated at nearly the same altitude. 

The crops in Mexico are dependent partly upon rain- 

* Brown beans, maize, and pepper grow in all the States. 
f Wheat grows in all but five States. 



94: QENEEAL INFORMATION. 

fall and partly upon irrigation. Nortli of the twentieth 
parallel, irrigation is necessary on the table-land. In the 
southern States the rains are generally limited to one con- 
tinuous season, which varies from five to seven months in 
the year. As in other tropical latitudes, a deluging rain 
oftentimes does more harm than good to the growing crops. 
Eeferring to this important subject, Humboldt has re- 
marked in his work on New Spain, vol. ii, page 455 : 
"Were the soil of Mexico watered by more frequent rains, 
it would be one of the most fertile countries cultivated 
by man in either hemisphere." The prosperity of New 
Spain depends upon the proportion of dry and wet season. 
The farmer, of course, takes advantage of the rainy sea- 
son, and in the northern and central States he sows in 
May and reaps in October. Two crops of wheat and In- 
dian corn are grown annually in various sections of the I 
tierra templada and on the central table-land. The sec- 
ond crop is, however, sometimes destroyed by a premature 
frost. In the States of Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, Guerrero, 
Tabasco, Mexico, and Jalisco, three crops of maize are cul- 
tivated in a single year ! They are called respectively the 
riego, temporal, and tonalmile. 

As irrigation {riego) is necessary for more than one half 
of the surface of the country, let us now consider this sub- 
ject. In the Aztec Empire acequias, or irrigating ditches, 
were used. The Spaniards were agreeably surj)rised to find 
' a system equal to that which the Moors had established in 
the Iberian Peninsula. The plan of watering the soil by 
artificial channels, however, is at present limited to a com- 
paratively small portion of the arable land in the country. 
In order to increase the annual yield of grain and vege- 
tables, the Mexicans should adopt the system of tanks 
which has been in use so long in British India. 

Water-companies should be organized for this purpose, 
and the huge ravines, or larrancas, of the sierra should be 



AQRIGULTURE. 95 

dammed up for the storage of an abundant supply of water 
for seasons of drought. 

The soil of Mexico might be caused to yield a hundred- 
fold more grain than is now produced, and the Eepublic 
eyentually enabled to compete with the States of California 
and Oregon in exporting the cereals to Europe.* Grain 
has recently (1883) been sent from California to JSTew Or- 
leans, La., via the Southern Pacific Eailroad. The cereals 
of Northern Mexico might be transported to the sea-board 
by the same route. This subject is worthy of the attention 
of foreign capitalists. 

As regards the amount of cereals cultivated within a 
giyen area in Mexico, it may be remarked that the propor- 
tion of grain to seed yaries from forty to one to three hun- 
dred to one. An average yield would be about one hun- 
dred and fifty to one. In very fertile land one fanega 
(about three bushels) of seed will produce four hundred 
fanegas of maize. Humboldt has remarked that the finest 
soil on the plateau is to be found in the rich plains lying 
between the cities of San Juan del Eio and Leon. 

It is not usual in Mexico to estimate a crop of grain by 
the number of bushels to the acre. In response to inquiries 
made in various States, the author was told that the yield 
of maize varied from twenty to forty bushels to an acre. 
The highest production is seventy bushels. No figures as 
to the proportionate amount of wheat and barley yielded 
could be obtained. Next to the cereals, the great staple 

* Notwithstanding her immense mineral resources, California has since 
1876, with the aid of improved agricultural implements and aceq^das, yielded 
more in agricultural products than from her mines. This State resembles 
Mexico in soil and in outline. According to Senor M. Romero, more wheat 
can be cultivated in Sonora than in California. And it may be added that 
the same remark will apply to the Mexican States bordering on the Pacific 
Ocean, as well as to those of Guanajuato, Queretaro, Hidalgo, Mexico, More- 
los, and Puebla. Indian corn, barley, and brown beans are also grown 
extensively in several of these States. 



96 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

products of Mexico are coffee, sugar, tobacco, cocoa, and 
cotton. All except the last-named are exported. 

Coffee (cafe) was introduced into the West Indies about 
the year 1714, and was thence advanced to New Spain at 
the beginning of the present century. It grows best in the 
temperate zone, and in the shade of the forest. It is now 
cultivated in eight States — viz.. Vera Cruz, Oaxaca, Chia- 
pas, Tabasco, Guerrero, Colima, Michoacan, and Morelos. 
The State of Vera Cruz yields the largest quantity. Co- 




TTie Coffee Plant. 

lima ranks next, and produces the finest variety of the article. 
It rivals the choicest Mocha brand. There is a great demand 
in foreign countries for Mexican coffee ; and doubtless the j 
annual production will soon be doubled if not quadrupled. 1 

Sugar-cane (cana de azucar) is grown extensively in all 
but seven States of the Republic. The greatest amount of | 
sugar comes from Morelos, and the State of Vera Cruz 
ranks second. Irrigation is necessary for its successful cul- 
tivation in some States. Sugar-cane grows both in the 



AGRICULTURE. 97 

tierra caliente and tierra templada up to an elevation of 
6,000 feet. In the latter, eighteen months are required 
for the crop to mature, while in the former the time varies 
from nine to twelve months. The sugar-cane of Mexico is 
of three kinds — viz., those of Castile, Havana, and Otaite. 

At the time of Humboldt's visit,* about 14,000,000 
pounds of sugar were exported annually. In 1881 the 
amount did not exceed 500,000 pounds. 

Tobacco is indigenous to Mexico. Indeed, it derives its 
name from the town of Tobaco in Yucatan. The culture 
of it was formerly restricted by law to the vicinity of Ori- 
zaba, f At present it grows chiefly in the States of Vera 
Cruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, Oaxaca, Chiapas, and 
Jalisco. ( Vide chapter on cigars and tobacco. ) 

Cocoa {cacao) is found in the States of Tabasco, Chiapas, 
Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Colima. The first-named State pro- 
duces the largest amount, the culture of cocoa being the 
principal branch of its agricultural industry. Chiapas 
ranks second, and but little of this article grows in the 
remainder of the Eepublic. 

Cotton (algodon) is cultivated in about half the States. 
Yucatan produces the largest quantities, and Durango 
ranks next. The finest cotton comes from the Pacific coast 
States and from Vera Cruz. It is also grown extensively in 
the vicinity of the lagoon of Tlahualila (which is familiarly 
called the "laguna country"), and in Southern Chihuahua. 
According to Seflor Busto, an acre of land will yield about 
2,000 pounds of cotton as an average. J; It thrives up to an 
elevation of five thousand feet. 

In 1803 the annual exportation of cotton amounted to 

* 1803. 

t In 1800 two million pounds of tobacco grew in the districts of Ori- 
zaba and Cordoba. 

:{: In the southern part of the United States, 950 pounds of cotton to 
the acre is a fair average. 
6 



98 



GENERAL INFORMATION. 



700,000 pounds. At present it is not exported, nor is it cul- 
tivated in quite sufficient quantities for home consumption. 
In 1806 Mexican cotton-seeds were introduced into Mis- 
sissippi by Walter Burling, Esq., and are supposed to haye 
improyed the character of the staple thus grown. 




Cocoamit Palm. 

Vanilla is produced in the States of Vera Cruz and 
Oaxaca. According to Humboldt, Europe receiyed its en- 
tire su^Dply of this commodity from Mexico preyious to 1812. 

Bananas grow luxuriantly in the tierra caliente, and the 
maguey, or aloe, is cultivated extensively on the table-land. 
It is said that a plantation of the latter pays better as an 
investment than any other kind of crop in Mexico. The 
maguey will grow in a soil that is almost barren. It ma- 
tures in eight years in the States of Puebla and Mexico ; 
and in San Luis Potosi it beconies ripe in five years. This 
plant will not blossom in northern climes. * 

* There is a popular belief that the maguey in temperate latitudes will 
reach maturity once in a hundred years. Hence the name *' eeutury=plant." 



i 



AGRICULTURE. 99 

Witli the improved processes of tillage, including the 
use of modern implements, extensive tanks and irrigating 
ditches, all of which are likely to be introduced at an early 
day, the staple products of Mexico will of course be in- 
creased many fold. 

The culture of sugar and tobacco is, and will doubtless 
continue to be, more profitable than that of the cereals. 
The cultivation of the tropical and semi-tropical fruits 
will also be carried on far more extensively than at present 
throughout the tier r a caliente, and in the lower parts of 
the tierra templada. 

A recent correspondent of the Chicago Tribune describes 
the Mexican farmer as follows : *^ On the ranch or vil- 
lage home of the ^ greaser ' Mexican everything bears the 
stamp of negligence and shiftlessness. Their gaunt, sharp- 
nosed, long-legged, and tan-colored hogs share with their 
owners in the comforts of the family residence. No fences 
except brush surround their fields. Generally there are 
none. They raise just sufficient wheat, barley, beans, and 
chili (red peppers) to meet their absolute needs. They 
thrash their crops upon bare, smooth ground by driving 
flocks of goats over them and washing in the nearest 
stream. They often plow with a crooked stick, and the 
hoe is their scythe, sickle, and reaper. Even their hay is 
cut with a hoe. They as a rule live in villages and culti- 
vate small fields upon their outskirts. Living as they do, 
and possessing a soil which under irrigation is wonderfully 
productive, they require but little ground to cultivate." 

Agricultural implements are admitted free of duty 
{vide p. 57). American reapers, mowers, plows, etc., have 
been introduced on the ranches of the northern and central 
part of the table-land. Time will, however, be required to 
induce the peons to abandon their rude ancestral tools that 
simply scratch the ground. Labor is abundant at three reales 
(37-i cents) a day. It is hardly necessary to remark that 



100 



GENERAL INFORMATION. 



the land will be best deyeloped by the immigration of 
skilled farmers from Europe and the United States. 

The following table, copied from Busto's Estadistica de 
la Refiiblica Mexicana, giyes a list of the agricultural pro- 
ductions of the Eepublic. It will be seen that the propor- 
tion of maize is about four fifths of the total product, while 
that of wheat is but one twentieth. Oats are rarely culti- 
yated, and rye not at all.* 



PEODUCTS. 



Chickling vetch (a kind of pea) 

Cotton 

Bene-seed 

Canary-seed 

Anise-seed 

Indigo 

Rice 

Sugar and molasses 

Cocoa 

Coffee 

Barley 

Cumin-seeds 

Peppers of all kinds 

Brown beans {frijoles) 

Peas 

Beans 

Hemp 

Ixtle (a kind of hemp) 

Lentils 

Maize (Indian corn) 

Potatoes 

Straw 

Tobacco 

Wheat 

Vanilla 

Sarsaparilla .... 

Total 



Pounds. 



27,831,012 

65,391,072 

6,710,308 

2,467,025 

2,477,090 

422,941 

33,366,493 

154,199,210 

3,174,605 

17,514,877 

511,134,850 

225,141 

119,031,908 

508,656.233 

25,277^928 

34,589,634 

88,176,000 

4,910,158 

4,625,775 

:1,681,140,666 

23,227,024 

431,740,320 

16,510,980 

747,349,004 

121,248 

1,073,648 



14,452,954,787 



Value in Mexican 
dollars. 



543,283 
6,605,831 

153,643 
57,410 

127,268 

358,002 
1,248,244 
8,761,317 
1,140,050 
2,060,382 
4,403,742 
23,500 
4,196,482 
8,406,211 

471,075 

477,610 
3,352,000 

154,053 

83,043 

112,164,424 

457,592 

1,962,879 

2,006,153 

17,436.345 

651,958 

149,489 



177,451,986 



* Compared with the United States, the annual corn-crop of Mexico is 
one ninth of that of the sister Eepublic ; the wheat-crop is one forty-first, 
and the cotton-crop is but one forty-fifth. Maize being the principal arti- 
cle of food, the failure of the crop causes great suffering, as the poorer 
classes must then subsist on unripe fruit, berries, and roots. 



MAPS AND SURVEYS. 101 



XXX. 
Maps and Surveys. 

Bakok Yok Humboldt was the first scientific traveler 
who made extensive astronomical observations and baro- 
metric measurements in Mexico. He determined the lati- 
tude and longitude, and the elevations of various cities and 
towns throughout the country. He also published charts 
and sketch-maps in his immortal work on New Spain. 

No complete topographical survey of Mexico has ever 
been made, and we need not say that it would cost far more 
than the National Government could afford to pay in the 
present state of the finances. 

The best atlas of Mexico has been compiled by Sefior A. 
Garcia Cubas, being entitled El Atlas metodico de la Geo- 
grafia de la Republica Mexicana. 

The Mexican National Eailway Company has joublished 
a large map, and Rand, McNally & Co., of Chicago, and 
Colton, of New York, have issued pocket-maps, of the Re- 
public. 

Several excellent maps have been prepared in France 
and Germany. 

A good topographical map is published by Victor De- 
bray. 

A map of the heart of Mexico, including the mountains 
of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl, has been printed in New 
York, and is on sale in the shops of the Mexican capital. 

A complete map, on a large scale, will soon be a possi- 
bility, considering the extensive surveys of the various rail- 
roads throughout the country. The boundary-lines of 
the public lands have never been determined, and the lack 
of accurate surveys is sadly felt at the present time. Dur- 
ing the Spanish domination the grants to individuals were 
practically unlimited, as the grantees took possession of 



102 OENERAL INFORMATION 

immense tracts of land without defining the metes and 
bounds. 

It is to be presumed that the Federal Goyernment will 
authorize a general survey of their public lands at an early 
day. 

XXXI. 
Stock-Raising. 

SoOK after the Spanish Conquest, horned cattle, horses, 
donkeys, sheep, and hogs were exported in large numbers 
to Mexico from the mother-country. At the present time 
more attention is devoted to rearing horses, mules, and 
donkeys than to other animals. The Mexican horse is of 
small stature, but possesses great endurance, and resembles 
the Arabian breed. The mules in Mexico are inferior in 
size to those of the United States, but are said to be capable 
of doing more work than the latter. Donkeys were intro- 
duced into ]N"ew Spain by the priesthood, to take the place 
of the porters for carrying merchandise. (See chapter on 
labor and wages.) Cattle and sheep may be raised advan- 
tageously in most of the States of the Eepublic. The 
northern States, especially Chihuahua, aSord the best graz- 
ing-land. Several English companies have recently pur- 
chased large stock-ranges in Tamaulipas, Nuevo-Leon, and 
Sonora. 

Excellent pasturage may be found in the valleys of 
Toluca and Orizaba. The former is noted for a superior 
breed of hogs. The greater part of the region that is used 
for grazing lies on the table-land.. Most of the arable land 
in the tierra caliente and tierra templada is employed for 
agricultural purposes. The liaciendas of El Salado and 
Cedres, in the central part of Mexico, are among the largest 
stock-ranches in the Eepublic. Artificial ponds and tanks 
for watering animals are common throughout the country. 



WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 103 

Cattle-raising bids fair to become an important industry 
in Northern Mexico at an early day. Tlie mildness of the 
winters admits of the stock feeding on the pastures, and 
there is no danger of losing the herd by a snow-storm. 
The natives are good herdsmen. It may be remarked, 
however, that marauding bands of Indians occasionally 
make raids on the stock-ranches, involving great loss to 
the owners. Eanches are usually sold by the ^itio, which 
is equivalent to 4,428 acres. It is said that several large 
cattle-ranches in Northern Mexico are for sale at pres- 
ent. ( Vide next chapter. ) 



XXXII. 
Weights and Measures. 

The French metric system of weights and measures has 
been adopted in the Republic of Mexico, but in the rural 
districts the inhabitants have not done away with the old 
system (although it is no longer the legal one), of which 
we give a sketch. 

MEXICAiq" LAN'D-MEASURES. 
(Translated from the Ordenanzas de Tierras y Aguas.) 

The Mexican vara is the same as the vara of Castile, and 
is divided into thirds or foot-fourths, sixths, and thirty- 
sixth inches. It equals 33J inches, American measure. 

Fifty Mexican varas make a measure called a cordel. 

A Mexican league contains 100 cor dels, or 5,000 varas. 

The league is divided into halves and quarters. The 
half -league contains 2,500 varas. 

Sitio de Ganado Mayor {sitio, a farm for raising cattle). 
— The form of a sitio de estancia de ganado mayor is a 
square whose sides measure 5,000 Mexican varas. The 
area of a sitio is 25,000,000 square varas, or 4,428 acres. 



104: GENERAL INFORMATION. 

Criadero de Ganado Mayor (place for breeding animals). 
— It is a square equal to a fourth part of a sitio de ganado 
mayor, whose sides measure 2,500 varas, and contains an 
area of 6,250,000 square varas. 

Sitio de Ganado Menor (farm for raising sheep or goats). 
— The form of a sitio de estancia de ganado menor is a 
square whose sides measure 3, 333 J varas. Its area contains 
11,111,111-|- square varas. 

Criadero de Ganado Menor. — It is a square whose sides 
measure l,666f varas, and its area contains 2,777,777J 
square varas. 

Calalleria de Tierra (33^ acres American measure). — 
The form of a caballeria de tierra is a rectangular parallelo- 
gram whose north or small side contains 552 varas, and 
whose greatest length is 1,104 varas. Its area contains 609,- 
408 square varas. 

Media Cahalleria de Tierra. — It is a square whose side 
measures 552 varas, and contains 304,704 square varas. 

Suerte de Tierra (lot of ground — a chance). — It is the 
fourth part of a cahalleria de tierra, and the same figure, 
whose long side measures 552 varas, and 276 in width. It 
contains 152,352 square varas. 

The Cahalleria de Tierra is also divided into twelve 
fanegas of good seed-oats. The fanega is equal to three 
American bushels or a superficies of 8-5624 American acres. 

Solar de Tierra (ground on which a house is built — 
town-lot). — Any parcel of land less than a suerte. 

Solar para Casas (for houses, mills, and markets). — It 
is a square of 50 varas — 2,500 square varas. 

Fundo Legal (a piece of ground which is cultivated ; 
town site). — It is a tract of land whose form is a square of 
1,200 varas on each side, and contains an area of 1,440,000 
square varas. 

Porcion. — Porcion is a measure sometimes used. It is 
a tract of land 1,000 va7'as wide and 16,000 varas long. 



WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 105 

Labor (a cultivated field). — A square containing 1,000,- 
000 square varas, or 177 acres. 

Texas Measure. — League and labor, 26,000,000 square 
varas, or 4,605 acres. 

To find the number of acres in a given number of square 
varas, divide by 5,646, fractions rejected. 

THE ENGLISH A.^T> FRE]S"CH SYSTEMS OF V7EIGHTS AT^D 
MEASURES COMPARED. 

The unit of the metric or French system of vreights and 
measures is the metre, which is equal to 39*37 inches. 

The Measures of Length are : 

1 millimetre = '039^7 inch. 

1 centimetre = '3937 " 

1 decimetre = 3-937 inches. 

1 metre = 39-37 " 

1 decametre = 32-809 feet. 

1 hectometre = 19-8842 rods. 

1 kilometre = -6213 mile. 

1 myriametre = 6-2138 miles. 

Measures of Surface. 

1 square centimetre = '155 square inch. 

1 square decimetre = 15-5 square inches. 

1 square metre or j_ _ j 10-764 square feet. 

1 centare ) ( 1'96 square yard. 

1 square decametre or ) _ j 3-954 square rods. 

1 are f ~ ( '0247 acre. 
1 square hectometre, or 1 hectare = 2*471 acres. 

1 square kilometre = -3861 square mile. 

Measures of Volume. 

1 cubic centimetre = '061 cubic inch. 

1 cubic decimetre or | _ j *0353 " 

1 litre j ~" 1 1*0567 hquid quart. 

1 cubic metre, or 1 stere = 35-3165 cubic feet. 



106 



GENERAL INFORMATION. 



Measures of Capacity. 

The litre is the unit of capacity, both of liquid and of 
dry measures, and is equal in volume to one cubic deci- 
metre. 

Dry measure. 

1 centilitre = '61 cubic inch = 

1 decilitre = 6*10 cubic inches = 

1 litre = '908 quart = 

1 decalitre = 9-081 quarts = 

1 hectolitre = 2-837 bushels 

, ( 28-37 bushels 

1 kilometre, or stere =^ -, oao i,- j 

I 1-308 cubic yard 

1 myriahtre = 283-72 bushels =2,641-75 



\- 



Liquid measure. 

•338 fluid oz. 

•845 gill. 

1^0567 quart. 

2-64175 gallons. 
26-4175 " 

264-175 " 



Measures of Weight. 

The gramme is the unit of weight, and is equal to a 
weight of a cubic centimetre of distilled water. 



1 centigramme 
1 decigramme 



= ) 



1 gramme 

1 decagramme = 

1 hectogramme = 

1 kilogramme or ^ _ 

kilo i" " 
1 myriagramme = 
1 quintal = 

1 tonneau or ) _ C 

ton i ~ } 



•1543+ grain, troy. 
15432+ " " 

15-432+ grains, " 

•03527+ ounce, avoirdupois. 
•3527+ " " 

3-5274+ ounces, " 

2-6792 pounds, troy. 
2-2046+ " avoirdupois. 
22-046+ " " 

112 " " 

2204-62+ " " 

1-1023 ton. 



N. B. — Except the table of the metric system, the preceding part of 
this chapter is taken almost vei'baiim from Castro's Republic of Mexico. 



WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



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108 GENERAL INFORMATION, 



XXXIII. 
Labor and Wages. 

Slaveey existed in Mexico before and after the Spanish 
Conquest, bnt it was abolished soon after the establishing 
of Mexican Independence. Formerly conyicts worked in 
the cotton and woolen factories in company with free la- 
borers ; and Humboldt, in his Political Essay on Neio 
Spain, has spoken of the injurious effect of this system on 
the latter class. 

Labor is now abundant throughout the Eepublic. In 
some of the larger cities the supply is greater than the 
demand. Skilled labor is rare among the natives, but they 
are capable of learning any trade. European labor has not 
thus far been largely introduced into Mexico. American 
negroes have been imported to a limited extent for the 
purpose of railway-construction. 

The peons or day-laborers may be divided principally 
into two great classes, i. e., those engaging in mining, and 
those who are employed on farms and ranches. The former 
class are much better workmen than the latter. They are 
not migratory in their habits, and mil often remain in one 
mining district for a lifetime. The miners and millers 
work about seven hours daily. They are usually peaceable, 
and receive better wages than the agricultural peons. The 
latter are, as a rule, lazy and indolent. In the tier r a fria 
and tier r a templacla they work from daylight to sunset, 
with a siesta at noon, while in the tier r a caliente the hours 
of labor are from 5 to 11 A. m., and from 3 to 6 P. M. 
Women do not generally work in the fields. 

A third class of workmen is employed in the factories 
and hotels, and by the railways. Male and female opera- 
tives obtain employment in the former. 

A considerable number of the Indian population act 



LABOR AND WAGES, 



109 



as public porters on the highways. Men and women en- 
gage in this occupation, and they use aljDen-stocks while 
walking. An ordinary porter will carry a load of one 







Mexican Porters. 



hundred and fifty pounds for a distance of twenty miles 
daily. All kinds of merchandise are transported on the 
backs of porters.* 

During the eighteenth century the Spanish priests are 
said to have imported donkeys or iurros in large num- 

* The author saw an Indian carrying a large sofa on the road from the 
City of Mexico to Cuernavaca. It was fastened to his body by means of 
ropes and straps passing across his breast and forehead, and extending 
under his arms. 



110 GENERAL INFORMATION, 

bers to take the place of porters in carrying burdens (see 
p. 102). 

The laboring classes of Mexico are exceedingly jealous 
of the introduction of labor-saying machinery. They re- 
gard it as an unwarranted means of preventing them from 
earning a living. Two recent events will serve to illustrate 
the antagonism of the ]peons to modem improvements. 

Soon after the adoption of the compressed air-brake 
on the railroads of the United States, the Mexican Railway 
Company discharged several of their brakemen and intro- 
duced this improved brake on their trains. The company's 
servants rebelled against this system, and stole the stop- 
cocks from the air-pipes, thereby compelling their em- 
ployers to reinstate them.* 

Recently the owner of a large hacienda purchased an 
outfit of American agricultural implements. His peons saw 
in them an unjustifiable interference with their own meth- 
ods of farming, and in the course of a few weeks the enlight- 
ened liacendado discovered to his surprise that his stock of 
instruments had been destroyed. These facts are significant, 
but fortunately the mtense feeling against new inventions 
and improved machines is confined to the lower classes. f 

The following table of wages will be found useful for 
reference. It is taken fi'om Consul- General Strother's an- 
nual report for 1882, the figures being approximately stated : 

Carpenters, per day $1 00 to $1 50 

Blacksmiths, per day 1 00 to 2 50 

Upholsterers, per day 75 to 1 25 

Shoemakers, per day 75 to 1 50 

Book-binders, per day 75 to 1 00 

* These facts were related to the author by a station-master of the 
Mexican Central Railroad Company. 

f In constructing railroads, the contractors introduced the wheelbarrow 
among the peons. They carried it on their heads when filled with earth, 
and it was found that more work could be done with the gunny-bag held 
on the shoulders. 



LABOR AND WAGES. Ill 

Turners, per day ^ 75 to $1 00 

Farriers, locksmiths, silversmiths (generally in- 
cluded in blacksmithing), per day 75 

Tinners, per day 75 

Plumbers and gas-fitters, per day 75 

Pattern-makers, molders (in foundries are paid 

by the piece), gilders, per day 75 

Coach-makers, per day , 1 50 

Harness-makers and saddlers, per day 75 

Stone-masons, stone-cutters, brick-layers (all un- 
der the same heading), per day 75 

House-painters, per day 75 

Quarry-men (paid by the piece), common laborers 

(peons), per day 37|- 

Porters, or cargadores, a course, per day 12^ 

Plasterers, plain and ornamental (per day) 1 25 

Tailors (equivalent to per diem) 1 00 

Hatters (equivalent to per diem) 87|- 

Cigar-makers (chiefly women), per diem 50 

Seamstresses (per diem) 37g 

Cotton spinners and weavers, woolen spinners 
and weavers (paid by the piece, equivalent 

to per diem) 1 00 

Factory-hands (per day) 50 

Engine-drivers (per day) 1 00 

Stokers (per day) 87-g 

Railway conductors (per day) 1 00 

Machinists (per day) 1 00 

Printers (equivalent to per diem) 1 00 

In the trades and occupations which may haye been 
omitted in the above list, the current wages of journey- 
men will be found to vary but little from the average 
given. Skilled workmen from abroad are now frequently 
imported at conventional prices much higher than the 
foregoing. 

N. B. — Foreigners intending to employ native laborers 
are strongly advised to put them under the control of a 



to 


1 00 


to 


m 


to 


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to 


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to 


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to 


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to 


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2 00 



112 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

"boss" who speaks the Spanish language, and who is 
familiar with their methods of work. The peons are amia- 
ble, and will generally give satisfaction with proper man- 
agement ; but they are exceedingly vindictive, and, if 
maltreated, will take vengeance on their oppressors at the 
first opportunity. 



XXXIY. 
Wines and Liquors. 

AccOEDiNG to Prescott, the Aztecs manufactured 
pulque, and were in the habit of becoming intoxicated by 
its use. This is the case with their posterity, the Mexicans 
of the present day. The great national beverages are the 
various kinds of pulque, mescal, or tequila, and aguardiente, 
or brandy. 

Pulque is the fermented sap of the maguey plant 
{Agave Americana), which is extracted from the heart 
as follows : 

The stem of the plant is cut short, and a deep incision 
is made into the heart of it. After removing the surround- 
ing .leaves, the stalk is hollowed for several inches. The 
sap is gathered from this cavity two or three times daily, 
by means of an acocote. This instrument acts like a pi- 
pette. It consists of a long gourd, to each end of which a 
piece of sharp horn is attached. The peon inserts one end 
into the liquid, and, placing the other in his mouth, ex- 
tracts the sap by suction into the body of the gourd. The 
juice is emptied into a jar or skin, which is carried on the 
back, and then it is taken to the cellar and allowed to fer- 
ment. A single plant of maguey will generally yield eight 
cuartillos, or one gallon, of sap in a day. The juice when 
extracted is termed agua miel, or honey- water. 



WINES AND LIQUORS. 



113 



Pulque is of a milk-wliite appearance, and resembles 
beer slightly in taste. 

Mescal is also prepared from, the maguey. The leaves are 
pressed in a mill, and the juice that runs out is distilled. 
Tequila is similar in taste. It is distilled from a small spe- 



i I 






>>i'li«^ \'i ,1, 1 mawH(i^^^^\? 




Pulque TlacJiiquero. 

cies of maguey called the zotol, which grows largely in Ja- 
lisco, especially near the town of Tequila, whence its name. 
Both mescal and tequila are transparent liquids. 

Aguardiente is distilled chiefly from sugar-cane juice, 
but it is sometimes made from the juice of the grape. Be- 



114: GENERAL IFFORMATION. 

sides these liquors, tliere are numerous others that the 
stranger rarely hears of except in the rural districts, such 
as char ape, cliiclia, jobo, peyote, tecuin, tepaclie, tuha, 
etc. 

Pulque is made principally in the States of Mexico, Hi- 
dalgo, and Tlaxcala. The center of population being in 
this part of Mexico, accounts for the immense cultivation 
of the maguey in these adjoining States. 

Mescal comes for the most part from Jalisco, Sinaloa, 
Puebla, Hidalgo, and Michoacan. Aguardiente is made 
chiefly in the sugar-growing States of Vera Cruz, Morelos, 
Michoacan, Jalisco, Mexico, Oaxaca, Yucatan, and Coa- 
huila. Pulque is usually transported from the liaciendas 
in sheep-skins ; and mescal and aguardiente are carried in 
kegs. 

The liquors above mentioned, however, are not the only 
ones which Mexico produces. The soil of the country is 
adapted to the culture of all kinds of grapes. Eed and 
white wines are manufactured in comparatively small 
quantities, most of the native wines coming from the 
States of Chihuahua and Coahuila. But nearly all the 
wine consumed in Central Mexico is imported from 
France and Spain by merchants in Vera Cruz. Eed 
wine is sold at from seventy-five cents to one dollar per 
quart bottle. 

A limited amount of beer is also produced. It is made 
chiefly in the States of Guanajuato, Jalisco, Vera Cruz, 
Puebla, and the Federal District. Much St. Louis (Mis- 
souri) beer is imported, and sold at the high price of 
three reales per bottle in the northern part and four re- 
ales in the southern part of Mexico. The cocoanut-wine 
comes for the most part from Michoacan, Yucatan, and 
Campeche. 

The following table, from Senor Busto's Estadistica de 
la Repuhlica Mexicana, shows the amount of wines and 



CIGARS AND TOBACCO. 



115 



liquors produced in the year 1879, together with their 
value : 



WINES AND LIQUORS. 

Brandy from grapes 

Brandy from sugar-cane {aguardiente). 

Beer 

Mescal of Tequila 

Common mescal 

Pulque " tlachique " 

Fine pulque 

Common pulque 

White wine 

Red wine 

Wines and various liquors 

Cocoanut-wine 

Total 



Pounds. 



1,169,467 

42,498,737 

22,128,999 

19,835,200 

11,336,080 

168,146,213 

220,468,880 

23,124,360 

4,866,859 

7,765,380 

4,717,361 

290,367 



526,349,903 



Dollars. 



114,453 
2,052,150 

768,703 
1,176,000 

570,646 

323,232 
3,935,995 

330,301 
1,154,196 
1,508,475 

941,021 
34,341 



12,909,513 



XXXY. 
Cigars and Tobacco. 

SMOKi]srG is universal in the Eepublic. The Mexican 
smokes at the theatre, in all public conveyances, in the 
shops, during meal-time, and even in church. Cigarettes 
(cigarrillos) are consumed in about the same quantity as 
cigars (puros). Mexicans when about to smoke will always 
offer cigarettes to by-standers, whether they are acquainted 
or not, and the refusal to accept will generally give offense. 

The cigars made in the State of Vera Cruz are, perhaps, 
the finest in the country. They are very cheap. Choice 
cigars can be purchased at six pesos a hundred. The brand 
known as La Giralda is mild and very popular. Owing to 
the low price of tobacco, even the poorer classes smoke im- 
moderately. The ^^weed" is used by men, women, and 
children. 

Ea-rly Spanish historians tell us that tobacco, called 



116 GENERAL INFOEMATIOK 

pycietl by the ancient Mexicans, was known to them before 
the Conquest. They were in the habit of smoking pipes 
and taking snnff. The Goyernment derives a large rey- 
enne from the sale of tobacco. Mexico consumes about 
$18,000,000 worth of it annually. 

Tobacco is not exported in considerable quantities, but 
Mexican cigars are generally found in ^New York and a few 
of the larger cities of the United States. ( Vide chapter on 
agriculture for an account of the tobacco-culture.) 



XXXYI. 
Manufactures. 



Whej^ the Spaniards inyaded Mexico, in 1519, they 
found the Aztecs possessed manufactures of considerable 
merit. The latter wore escaupil — a kind of armor made of 
quilted cotton, thick enough to be impenetrable to the light 
missiles of aboriginal warfare. The wealthier chiefs, how- 
eyer, sometimes donned a cuirass made of thin plates of 
gold or silver, and wooden helmets. 

Soon after his arrival at Vera Cruz, Cortes sent cotton 
fabrics as presents to the Emperor Charles V. Historians 
tell us that cotton was perhaps grown, but certainly manu- 
factured, in Mexico as early as in any other civilized coun- 
try. The Spanish chroniclers of the time state, that the 
Aztecs made large webs as fine and delicate as those of Hol- 
land ; that they wore cloths of different figures and colors, 
representing various animals and flowers ; that feathers 
oftentimes made a part of the texture ; that they manufac- 
tured mantles, gowns, and bed-curtains ; and that a hand- 
some cloth was also manufactured by taking the finest hair 
of the rabbit and spinning it into thread, after which it 
was interwoven with cotton. 



i 



MANUFA C TUBUS. 117 

The oldest cotton-factories are to be found in the city 
of Texcoco. 

The Aztecs were familiar with the art of reducing sih^er, 
lead, copper, and tin. The process was, however, easy 
and simple. They formed an alloy of the two last-named 
metals, and wrought tools of bronze. With these imple- 
ments they were able to cut not only metals, but, with the 
aid of fine sand, the hardest substances — as basalt, porphy- 
ry, amethysts, and emeralds {vide Prescott's Conquest of 
Mexico, vol. i, pp. 138, 139). 

Besides making textile fabrics, working in metals, and 
hewing stone, the ancient Mexicans molded pottery on a 
large scale, and manufactured from the maguey {Agave 
Americana) a variety of articles, such as paper, thread, and 
cords from the leaves (which were also used to thatch roofs), 
pins and needles from the thorns, and pulque from the fer- 
mented juice of the stem. 

Owing to the restrictions imposed by the Government, 
manufactures did not thrive during the rule of the viceroys. 
Still, the cotton and woolen factories were preserved, the 
metals were reduced from the ores, and soap, wax, sugar, 
pottery, pulque, and a few other articles were produced. 
The frequent revolutions and the instability of the Federal 
Government since the War of Independence have greatly 
retarded manufacturing industry. Fuel being exceedingly 
scarce, steam is even now rarely used in the factories and 
reducing- works ; but water-, mule-, and man-power are gen- 
erally employed. In his long tour through the Eepublic in 
the winter and spring of 1883, the author noticed only one 
sugar-mill, one silver-reducing-mill, two cotton-factories, 
and a flour-mill, that were run by steam. In the latter case 
an aqueduct was in course of construction to conduct water 
to the mill as a motive power. On account of the configu- 
ration of Mexico, there is abundant water-power just below 
the border of the tierrafria and in some parts of the great 



118 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

plateau. Pew things, comparatiyely, are manufactured at 
the present day. The establishment of industrial schools, 
however, in the cities of Guadalajara, Mexico, Puebla, and 
Orizaba, and recent industrial expositions in these cities, 
have given an impetus to domestic industry. The Her- 
cules cotton-mill at Queretaro furnishes employment to 
1,400 operatives (for description, see Section V). It is by 
far the largest mill in Mexico. A few others have been 
erected by French and German capitalists in the central 
part of the Republic. 

A company has recently been organized at Mapimi, in 
the State of Durango, to manufacture cotton goods at a 
place known as Ojo de Agua. The region affords fine water- 
power, and the factory will be started with forty looms. 
Small tread-mills are used extensively in making woolen 
cloths and blankets or zarapes. There are a few small 
silk-factories. 

Although the data are wanting to give an accurate list 
of all the manufactures of Mexico, together with their 
amount and value, we will take the following figures from 
Senor Busto's great work on Mexican statistics : The num- 
ber of factories in Mexico is 99 ; their value in machinery, 
14,690,776 ; and in buildings, 14,816,999— making a total 
of 19,507,775. They contain 258,458 spindles and 9,214 
looms. Their annual consumption of cotton amounts to 
258,962 quintals,* and of wool to 59,240 arrohas. \ The 
number of operatives employed is 12,346. 

The manufactures of the country may be concisely 
stated as follows : Cotton and woolen goods ; hats of straw 
and felt ; leather- work of every kind ; soap ; X wax, either in 
the form of candles, matches, or ex votos ; silk ; glass ; fur- 
niture ; pottery ; marble-work ; rope ; palm-leaf work of 
all kinds, as matting, baskets, brooms, brushes, etc. ; a few 

* 29,003,744 pounds. f 1,481,000 pounds. 

X Much soap is made in Guadalajara, Puebla, and Mexico. 



IfATIVJE PRODUCTIONS. 119 

kinds of paper ; * diligences and carfcs ; flour ; sugar ; clioc- 
olate ; indigo ; tiles ; and adobe, or sun-dried brick ; also 
wine and liquors, which are described in a separate chapter 
{vide p. 115). 

N. B. — None of these articles are exported to any ex- 
tent. 



XXXYII. 
Native Productions. 

This chapter is designed to supplement the preceding 
one on manufactures. The Indians of to-day make yarious 
articles that were in common use among their Aztec an- 
cestors. 

The plumaje, or feather-work, which is sold in the 
shops at the capital, resembles that made in Montezuma's 
time ; but, instead of being interwoven with a cotton web, 
the feathers are put together in various forms and attached 
to a card-board. 

Different varieties of artificial birds are constructed in 
this manner, the gorgeous colors of the parrot tribe and 
the delicate down of the humming-bird affording excellent 
material for a beautiful model. Some of these birds are of 
life-size, but most of them are on a reduced scale. The 
modern Mexicans do not make knives, razors, and serrated 
swords of itztli, or obsidian, but the tourist may find frag- 
ments of this material on sale in the jportales of the City of 
Mexico. 

Pottery is manufactured on a large scale {vide preced- 
ing chapter). It comes mostly from Guadalajara, Urua- 
pan, and Zintzuntlan. The Guadalajara ware is glazed 
and variegated in color. It is molded into all kinds of 
figures, many of which are artistic in design, and illustrate 
the national costumes. Aztec pottery is now very scarce. 

* There was no paper-factory up to 1803. 



120 GENERAL INFORMATIOK 

Numerous imitations are made, however, and travelers are 
cautioned against paying high prices for the spurious arti- 
cle. Eag figures dressed in Mexican costumes are sold ex- 
tensively by the Indians. All kinds of baskets composed 
of gayly-colored fragments of the palm-leaf are cheap and 
abundant. The zarapes are described in the chapter on 
costumes. Every variety of leather- ware is made in the 
country. Besides leathern clothing and foot-gear, bridles, 
saddles, whips, etc., are manufactured, which are often- 
times of exquisite workmanship. The author saw a silver- 
mounted saddle belonging to a wealthy young Jiacendado 
that was valued at $1,000. It weighed forty pounds. The 
Mexican onyx, or tecali, is wrought into pa])er- weights and 
small vases, and even into mantel-pieces. The pale-green 
variety of this stone is very beautiful. Tourists are recom- 
mended to purchase ornaments of tecali either at Puebla or 
at the capital. 

Choice embroidery {jbordado) is made in Mexico. This 
work is done on velvet, silk, cloth, or muslin. Gold and 
silver thread is commonly used to embroider velvet and 
silk. The vestments of the priests are trimmed in this 
manner {vide chapter on the Church). Felt hats are usu- 
ally adorned with silver thread. The most beautiful piece 
of native needle-work on exhibition is found on the throne 
of the Sala de Emlajadores, at the National Palace in the 
capital. It consists of the Mexican coat-of-arms embroid- 
ered with gold thread on dark velvet. 

Ladies wishing to purchase ornamental specimens of 
needle-work should have them made to order, as Mexican 
shopkeepers rarely have choice embroidery in stock. There 
is no fixed price for this class of work ; accordingly, stran- 
gers are advised to bargain with the dealers. 

Owing to the small number of artists, paintings w^hicli 
delineate Mexican scenery or costumes are seldom offered 
for sale. Photographs of the places of interest, both in 



JEWELRY. 121 

town and country, and also of the national dress, may be 
purchased in all the large cities. 



XXXVIII. 

Jewelry. 

Mexican jewelry has justly acquired a world-wide 
fame. When the Spaniards invaded the country, they 
acknowledged that the gold and silver-smiths of the Aztec 
Empire excelled those of their own land. 

The precious metals were used in casting vessels, some 
of which were said to have been so large that a man could 
not encircle them with his arms. 

Gems like opal, turquoise or chalcliihuitl, ruby, agate, 
heliotrope, and chalcedony, were mounted in gold ; and 
artistic filigree- work in both gold and silver was made 
extensively. 

According to the accounts of the early Spanish chroni- 
clers, the ornaments worn by Montezuma must have been 
equal in elegance to many of the crown-jewels of the impe- 
rial families of Europe. 

At the present day the traveler will not meet with any 
large specimens of silver- ware, excepting the exquisite 
service of Maximilian, which is on exhibition in the mu- 
seum at the national capital. 

The modern jewelers confine themselves principally to 
the manufacture of watches, chains, necklaces, brooches, 
pins, buttons, and other articles for personal adornment. 
The filigree-work in silver is worn extensively, but that of 
gold is seldom used. 

Chapetas, or silver studs for hats, are made in large 
quantities. They are in the form of stirrups, revolvers, 
ropes, horse-heads, bull-heads, spurs, and other figures. 
These chapetas are fastened on either side of the croTfij 

6 



122 GENERAL INFORMATIOK 

(see chapter on costumes). Silver ornaments are sold at 
a low price, and they make handsome presents for tourists 
to purchase. The smallest and cheapest figures are ex 
votos in the shape of arms and legs. 



XXXIX. 

Theatres. 



Theatres may be found in all cities and towns of the 
country. The Mexican has inherited from the Spaniard 
his loye for the drama. Many of the plays put upon the 
stage are translated from the French, the number of native 
dramatists being very small. Many traveling operatic and 
theatrical companies visit Mexico in the winter season. 
The opera-louffe is given every year. 

Sunday night is the most popular time to go to the 
theatre. The prices of admission are lower than in the 
United States. A seat in the parquet, or patio, gener- 
ally costs one peso. Smoking is allowed there. 

Ladies wishing to visit the theatres should procure 
tickets in a box or loja. They are plain edifices, with little 
interior decoration, and are commonly built with an ellip- 
tical auditorium, which has several tiers of boxes ranged 
one directly above the other, reminding the traveler of La 
Scala at Milan, 



XL. 

Music. 

The Mexican people are very fond of music. There 
are excellent military bands in all the cities and garrisoned 
towns, where a pagoda is generally erected in the main 
plaza. They usually play three evenings in the week. 



MUSIC. 123 

when the ''swell" population turns out to enjoy the music. 
Travelers will find pianos all over the country, even in 
towns 500 miles distant from a seaport or railway termi- 
nus. Violins and guitars are also used, the latter being 
common among the Indians and mestizos. Wandering 
street musicians are rare. 

There is not much original Mexican music ; the national 
hymn, consisting of ten verses, being the best known. It 
was written by Bocanegra, and set to music by Nuno. 

The following is a metrical translation of the chorus 
and first two verses of the national hymn of Mexico : * 

CHORUS. 

Mexicans, haste to fight and bleed I 
Make ready sword and bridled steed ; 
Let the earth tremble to its core, 
Exulting in the cannon's roar. 

First Stanza. 

Oh, may the olive-branch of peace, 

Dear Fatherland, wave over thee ; 

For writ in heaven, by God's own hand, 

Is thine eternal destiny. 

And if the foe, with foot profane, 

Invade thy soil, O sacred land ! 

Each son of thine, a soldier born, 

The fierce invasions shall withstand. 

Second Stanza. 
Behold them plunged in bloody strife ; 
The love which animates each heart 
Impels them on to give their life, 
And e'er count death the better part. 
The former exploits of thy sons, 
O Fatherland, remember now. 
And once again immortal crowns 
Of laurel shall adorn thy brow. 

* Arranged for the author by E. E. J. 



124 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

The singing in the churches is of a high order, and the 
choir-boys haye exquisite alto Yoices. 



XLI. 

Dances. 

MEXICAN'S are likewise passionately fond of dancing. 
Public balls {lailes) are frequent all over the Eepublic. In 
the capital they are held on Sunday nights, while in the 
smaller cities Saturday is the more common eyening for 
them. Private balls are given by subscription in the prin- 
cipal cities, to which tourists may obtain invitations through 
some banker or merchant. 

It is rare to have a tertiiUa, or evening-party, without 
dancing. 

XLII. 
Festivals. 

The festivals of Mexico were formerly of a religious 
character, but since 1856 they partake of a political nature. 
The following is a list of the principal holidays : 

January 23 . Santo * of the King of Sjpain. 

February 5. Anniversary of the Constitution of 1857. 

February 22. Birth of "Washington. 

March 14. Santo of the King of Italy. 

March 21. Birth of Benito Juarez. 

April 1. Opening of the session of Congress. 

May 5. Anniversary of the defeat of the French at 
Puebla. 

May 8. Birth of the Curate Hidalgo. 

May 15. Capture of Queretaro in 1867. 

May 31. Close of the session of Congress. 

* Santo means the anniversary of the birthday of the saint after whom 
the king is named. 



i 

BULL-FIGHTS, 125 

June 21. Capture of Mexico in 1867. 

June 30. Anniversary of the reformation in Guatemala. 

July 4. Independence of the United States. 

July 18. Anniversary of the death of Juarez. 

July 20. Independence of Colombia. 

July 28. Independence of Peru. 

July 30. Death of the Curate Hidalgo. 

September 15. Independence of Guatemala. 

September 16. Independence of Mexico. 

November 15. Banto of the King of the Belgians. 



XLIII. 
Bull-fights. 

The bull-fight, or funcion de toros, is the nsitional fiesta 
of Mexico, and is one of the objectionable legacies of the 
Spaniards. Bull-fights take place on Sunday afternoons. 
The best performances are at Huisachal, a suburb of the 
capital. They are forbidden by law within the city limits. 
There are bull-rings (plazas de toros) in all cities and 
towns. Several of the larger cities have two. The rings 
in Mexico are commonly of wood,* and are built in the 
form of an amphitheatre. The seats are classified into 
those in the shade (sombra) and those in the sun (sol). 
The former are, of course, preferable, and cost more than 
the latter. 

Most of the bull-fighters are Mexicans, but at the present 
time (1883) a famous Spanish maestro, named JSl Chicla7iero, 
is ** starring " in the Kepublic. Bull-fighters, or toreadores, 
are agile men, of rather slender build, and do not usually 
exceed the medium height. They seldom possess great phys- 
ical strength, but are expert Jumpers. They are divided 

* The Spanish bull-rings are made of brick or stone. 



126 GENERAL INFORMATION, 

into four classes : tlie espadas, or matadores, who kill the 
bull with a sword; the hcmderilleros, who thrust barbed 
darts into his neck ; i\\Q picador es, who ride jaded Eosinante- 
hacks, and strike the animal with their lances ; and the 
chulos and capas, who tease him with gayly-colored cloths, 
and assist the toreadores generally. 

The bull enters the arena at the sound of a trumpet, 
and is in turn attacked by the above-named classes of 
fighters. When the persecuted beast falls from exhaustion 
and loss of blood, he is killed by the cachetero, who thrusts 
a small dagger into the nape of the neck, just aboye the 
spinal column. The body is then dragged out of the ring 
by a trio of mules, amid the deafening yells of the crowd, 
the band playing at the time. The carcass is sold to the 
butcher. Unlike the funciones of Spain, the horses are 
protected with huge leather covers, and the tips of the 
bull's horns are sometimes sawed off. 



XLiy. 

Cock-fights. 

Cock-fights, or pehas de gallos, take place all over the 
country. The cock-pits are light pyramidal structures that 
are made of wood, with a thatched roof, and open at the 
base. 

Cock-fighters, or galleros, are frequently seen in the 
streets, each carrying a game-cock, with a string tied to 
its leg. Sunday afternoon is the favorite time for cock- 
fighting. 

Occasionally the inhabitants of rival towns will have a 
match, when representatives of each will send picked game- 
cocks to engage in the fight. The event is announced, 
weeks beforehand, by gaudy bills posted on the sides of the 
public buildings. 



COSTUMES. 12T 

It may be remarked that cock-figlits are likewise com- 
mon in the Territory of New Mexico, although bull-fights 
are unknown. The most popular season for cock- and bull- 
fighting is during Lent. 



XLY. 
Costumes. 

The upper classes, especially the Goyernment ofiicials, 
in Mexico, haye recently discarded the national costume, 
and now wear the European dress. Black coats and silk 
hats are as commonly seen on the Plaza mayor of the City 
of Mexico as on Broadway or Eifth Ayenue. 

There is a great yariety of costumes, howeyer, among 
the country gentlemen, and among both sexes in the lower 
classes. The Mexican hat, or somdrero, is the most promi- 
nent part of the national dress. It is either of felt or 
straw, and has a yery wide brim. When made of the for- 
mer material, the color yaries from light gray to brown and 
black. The crown is trimmed with a silyer band, and the 
brim is oftentimes heayily embroidered with silver thread. 
The cords around the crown are either single, double, or 
quadruple, and small silver ornaments called cliapetas are 
attached to both sides of it. Straw hats are generally pro- 
vided with puffed bands of the same material, and occa- 
sionally silyer cords are worn on them. The peasantry 
wear plain straw hats and white cotton shirts and trousers. 
Cloaks of water-flags or palm-leaf strips are used by the 
Indians. They are impervious to the rain. 

A zarape,'^ or blanket woven either of woolen goods or 
of both wool and cotton, is worn in the early morning and 
in the evening. An infinite yariety of patterns may be seen 
in these zarai^es. Stripes of various shades of red, yellow, 

* Sometimes spelled scrape. 



128 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

and brown, are the preyailing colors. Unlike the ponchos 
and mangas of Spain, the zarapes are thrown over the 
shoulder, instead of inserting the head through a hole or 
slit in the middle. Howeyer, some of the latter style of 
blankets are worn, especially by diligence-driyers and don- 
key-boys. Stage-coachmen also wear leggings embossed 
with large nail-heads. 

Hiiaraclies, or leathern sandals, fastened with straps oyer 
the instep and across the ball of the foot, take the place 
of boots or shoes among the lower classes. 

The usual style of dress among the peasant-women con- 
sists of a white waist and skirt, with a blue scarf or shawl 
(relozo). These simple colors remind the traveler of those 
adopted by Murillo in his paintings of the Virgin. Straw 
hats, like those worn by the poorer class of men, are donned 
by the women. 

The ladies in cities are generally dressed in plain black, 
and without a bonnet. They carry black silk parasols and 
black fans. The mantilla is now generally disused. Since 
1881 young ladies, especially in the City of Mexico, have 
begun wearing hats of foreign make and dresses of various 
colors.* 

The liacendados and country gentlemen usually wear 
suits of black cloth, consisting of a short jacket with silver 
buttons, a waistcoat cut low, and pantaloons opening on 
the outside of the leg, with two rows of fancy silver but- 
tons along the outer seam. A faja, or sash, which is com- 
monly of a red color, is added to the costume, and the 
boots are made with high heels. This dress is worn in the 
tierra fria, and in the upper part of the tierra templada. 
In the tierra caliente the gentry wear plain white cotton 
suits with somhreros of felt or straw. In riding through 

* The American consul at the capital informed the author that, in 1880, 
his wife was compelled to send to the United States for a bonnet, being 
unable to purchase one in the City of Mexico. 



LOTTERIES.— STORES. 129 

the nnderbrush, chaparraleros, or loose leathern trousers, 
are worn over the ordinary pantaloons. Except in the 
large cities, swords or macJietes are usually attached to the 
saddle-bow. 



XL VI. 
Lotteries. 

Following the example of Spain, lotteries were intro- 
duced into Mexico many years ago, and are now an impor- 
tant source of reyenue. Lottery-tickets are sold in all the 
cities by men, women, and children. They are found on 
the por tales of the plazas, at the doors of hotels and cafes, 
and on the street corners. The Government receipts from 
lotteries were : 

In 1880-'81 $32,856. 

In 1881-'82 60,000. 

In 1882-'83 800,000. 



XLYII. 
Stores. 

AccoEDiKG to Prescott, there were no shops in the 
Aztec Empire. Goods and wares were sold in the market- 
place. Fairs were held at short intervals, and the mer- 
chants were itinerant traders. Under the Spanish domina- 
tion, the system was greatly modified. With the impor- 
tation of merchandise from the mother-country came the 
gradual introduction of shops. They have undergone a 
great change since 1870. The shops usually have fanciful 
names, such as ''The City of Paris," "The Azure Boot," 
"The Eed Gown," etc. 

While household ornaments, books, hardware, crockery. 



130 GENERAL INFORMATION 

leather-work, and a few other articles, were formerly on 
sale in considerable quantities, wearing-apparel suitable for 
Europeans was almost unknown. A new era of trade has 
dawned upon the Eepublic since the introduction of Ameri- 
can railroad enterprise. The foreign resident need no 
longer send to New York, London, or Paris for luxuries 
and fashions. All kinds of clothing can now be made at 
short notice ; and preserves, canned goods, hams, wines, 
confectionery, and other articles which the European re- 
quires, are found in the shops. The finest mercantile 
establishments are in the cities of Puebla and Mexico. 
Erench is spoken in many of them. The shops on the 
Calle de San Francisco, on the Plateros, and on the Plaza 
mayor in the capital, are commodious, and contain a fine 
assortment of goods. Some of the clerks speak English. 
Strangers are charged exorbitant prices, so it is advisable 
to marcliander with the salesmen. 



XLYIII. 
Pawnbroker-Shops. 

These institutions are controlled by the Government, 
and exist in all the cities of Mexico. They are termed 
monte de piedad, or montepio. 

There is a large monte de piedad in Puebla, and a cen- 
tral office with several branches at the capital. The arti- 
cles deposited as security for loans in the pawnbroker-shops 
are chiefly wearing-apparel, leather- work, jewelry, and 
fire-arms. The Grovernment officers set a price on goods 
forfeited to the montepio. If they are not sold within a 
few weeks, a second price is fixed. Should the articles fail 
to find a purchaser at the reduced valuation, they are ap- 
praised again. They are then kept for an indefinite period, 
till the third price is paid. 



THE CHURCH. 131 

Travelers can o(/casionally find rare and yaluable objects 
at these shops. The bills of the national monte de piedad 
circulate at par thi'oughout the country. 

/ 



XLIX. 
The Church. 



/ 

Up to the year 1859 one third of all the real and per- 
sonal property in Mexico was owned by the Church. Many 
of the finest buildings, as well as large tracts of land in the 
heart of the large cities, belonged to the clergy. 

The bishops' palaces at Puebla and at the capital con- 
tain so many deeds, leases, etc., that they remind one of a 
county clerk's office, rather than the residence of a high 
ecclesiastical dignitary. 

All churches and convents in Mexico are built of the 
most costly materials and in the most substantial manner. 
Lofty towers are usually added to the churches, and their 
fagades are oftentimes exquisitely carved. (See chapter 
on architecture. ) The interior decorations, paintings, fur- 
niture, and the services, are artistic in character. They 
were imported from Europe and transported by wagons for 
distances varying from one hundred to six hundred miles 
at great expense. 

The high altars as well as the stalls of the choir are 
beautifully carved, the former being usually gilded. Large 
organs are found in the cathedrals and principal churches, 
and occasionally the same building will have two of them 
on oj)posite sides of the choir. In the Morelia * and Guada- 
lupe cathedrals, there are silver railings around the edge of 
the high altar and leading thence to the choir. Many of 

* The silver railing at Morelia was removed by the Liberal party during 
the Reformation. 



132 GENERAL INFORMATION 

the doors in the tabernacles are made of silyer. The beau- 
tiful tecali, or so-called Mexican onyx, is used extensively 
for altars and fonts. ( Vide chapter on Morelia, in Section 
IV.) Most of the churches are furnished with wooden 
settees. Prie-dieux are unknown. 

A large number of the churches are rapidly falling into 
decay, and many of them are now used for business pur- 
poses, e. g., barracks, warehouses, marble-works, etc. Dur- 
ing his extensiye tour through Mexico, in the winter and 
spring of 1883, the author saw but a single instance of 
a church undergoing repairs, viz., on the plaza of Inda- 
parapeo in Michoacan. Several of the convents adjoining 
the churches are at present in ruins, while others have not 
been occupied for years, and some of them are now altered 
into hotels, as at Zacatecas and Monterey. 

These institutions are crowded together into the cities 
and towns, none being found in the rural districts as in 
Europe. ( Vide chapter on population. ) 

It is a universal custom to hang ex votos on the walls of 
the churches. They are either made of silver or wax, or 
consist of small paintings of the Virgin Mary. 

Various notices invoking pater-iiosters, or aves^ for the 
repose of the souls of departed friends, or soliciting alms 
for certain purposes, are printed on paper of several colors 
and posted on the main door of the churches. Eeligious 
tracts, and ribbons giving the size of the head of some par- 
ticular saint, are sold at the entrance to many of the cathe- 
drals and chapels, especially during the lenten season. 

A tyjoical church-scene in Mexico is a number of men 
clothed in white-cotton garments, with zarapes of variegat- 
ed colors on their shoulders, with broad-brimmed straw hats 
in their hands, and wearing liuaraclies, or leathern sandals, 
kneeling on a stone floor in company with women and girls, 
who are dressed in calico and wear a black shawl over the 
head and shoulders. 



THE CHURCH. 133 

The Yestments worn by the priesthood while celebrating 
high mass are yery costly, and consist of silken robes heav- 
ily embroidered with gold and silver thread. When appear- 
ing in the street the priests usually wear the ordinary cloth 
gown and cloak. It is, however, forbidden by law in some 
parts of the country, e. g., in the Federal District, for 
the clergy to walk the streets in the garb of their order. 

As regards the power of the Church in Mexico at the 
present day, it may be said that it is almost entirely lost, 
except in a few States like Michoacan. The politicians, 
however, make extravagant promises to the clergy, in the 
hope of securing their good graces in the elections. In the 
northern States the priesthood are becoming less influential 
from day to day. 

Flag-staffs have been erected on the facades of the prin- 
cipal churches, from which the national colors are dis- 
played. In the City of Mexico the ringing of bells is re- 
stricted by statute to the period of three minutes at one 
time ; and the space of one half hour must elapse before 
they can be again sounded. 

The hold of the Catholic clergy on the Mexican people 
is confined principally to the laboring classes. It is a com- 
mon saying that, when a peon earns two dollars, he gives 
one dollar and forty-five cents to the priest, spends fifty 
cents for pulque, and supports his family on the remainder. 

Among the more highly educated classes, the men are 
indifferent to religion, and oftentimes refuse to allow their 
wives and daughters to visit the confessional. They charge 
that the priest learns the pecuniary condition of the pater- 
familias through the female members of the household. 
In 1882 the clergy in the Eepublic were estimated to num- 
ber ten thousand. 

Notwithstanding the comparatively long period in which 
the Liberals have been in power in Mexico, the hostility 
between the Catholics and Protestants is as intense as ever. 



134 GEFERAL INFORMATION. 

The priests still threaten to excommunicate jpeons who work 
on buildings or farms owned by the Protestants. Since 
1870 the Liberal Government has favored the establishment 
of Protestant churches throughout the country. During 
the administration of President Juarez a fine parish church 
was presented to the Protestants in the national capital. 
Their missions have since been founded in the cities of 
Puebla, Ouernavaca, Zacatecas, and Monterey. 

As recently as December, 1882, a collision took place 
between the Eoman Catholics and Protestants at Zacatecas. 
The former attempted to demolish a chapel which was 
owned by the latter, when the military came to the rescue 
and dispersed the rioters with bloodshed. The State gov- 
ernments are generally disposed to protect the Protestants, 
and accordingly offer convict-labor to complete their houses 
of worship, when the ;peons can not be employed.* In 
Chihuahua the Americans now attend divine service at the 
residence of the pastor, the Eev. Mr. Eaton. 

N. B. — Foreigners, intending to engage in either min- 
ing or farming in Mexico, are strongly advised to concili- 
ate the "padre, as he is usually the most influential person 
in small towns and villages. Considering the influence of 
the clergy on the lower classes, discourteous treatment 
of the priest may result in the refusal of the peons to 
work for the offending individual. 



L. 
Jurisprudence. 

The Eoman law prevails in Mexico, and a code, based 
upon the Code Napoleon, has been adopted. 

There is a written Constitution and a system of statutes 

* The chapel at Zacatecas was rebuilt by convicts. 



JURISPEULENCE. 135 

for the Republic. Each State has also its own laws, which 
are administered independently of those of the Federal 
Government. Trial by jury occurs in criminal cases only. 
Felonies are punished by long terms of imprisonment, 
while the penalty for misdemeanors is generally a fine 
ranging from twenty-five cents to several hundred dollars. 
The former amount is the equivalent of one day's wages 
for certain classes of laborers. 

Of late years, the authorities have ordered a great many 
brigands to be shot without a trial. In the State of Zaca- 
tecas, two hundred persons, who were known to be bandits, 
are said to have been killed in a single year. 

Life and property are now as safe in Mexico as in the 
United States. 

Europeans residing in Mexico complain of the system 
of keeping prisoners in close confinement for a long period 
ivitTiout a trial. The ^Drisons are damp and unhealthy, 
and the fare is of the worst quality. 

The rules of practice for filing documents in the public 
offices are different from those of the United States. Ori- 
ginal wills, deeds, mortgages, etc., must be recorded in 
blank books and deposited in the proper office. These are 
provided by the municipal government, l^one but inter- 
ested persons can obtain copies of them. Deeds and other 
instruments executed as far back as the year 1540 are on 
file in the register's office of a few cities. 

All deeds, leases, contracts, etc., must be executed be- 
fore a notary {escribano puMico). 

Stamps must be affixed to all kinds of instruments, and 
a rudrica, or dash of the pen, must be added to a signature 
to make it legal. 

At present aliens can take real estate by deed and de- 
vise, but they can not own land within twenty leagues of 
the frontier line, or less than fifteen miles from the coast, 
except by special permission of the Executive. 



136 GENERAL IKFOUMATIOK 

"Any foreigner wlio desires permission to own real estate within 
the above-mentioned limits, must address his petition to the Secre- 
tary of Public Works at the City of Mexico, accompanied by a report 
from the government of the State or Territory where the property 
is situated. 

" The foreign proprietor of real estate forfeits his rights of pos- 
session under any of the following circumstances: 

" 1st. By being away from the Eepublic with his family for 
more than two years without permission from the General Govern- 
ment. 

*' 2d. By residing outside of the Republic, even though he has 
a representative residing upon his property or in the Republic. 

" 3d. By transferring or conveying said property by inherit- 
ance or any other means to any person non-resident in the Re- 
public. 

" Any foreign property-owner, who may fall into any of the three 
conditions above stipulated, is compelled to sell his real estate to 
a Mexican citizen, within two years from the date of his absence 
from the Republic; or, in case he fails to comply with this pre- 
scription, the public authority will effect the sale of the property, 
depositing the proceeds of it to the order of the owner of the 
property. If said sale has been made by ' denouncement ' of the 
property, one tenth of the proceeds shall go to the person who 
made the ' denouncement' and the balance to the absent for- 
eigner. . . . Aliens who are members of a mining company that 
has either discovered or reopened any abandoned mine are exempt 
from these rules. 

" Foreigners who have acquired real estate from private owners, 
or the Government of Mexico, are subject to all kinds of taxation, 
and are bound to do military duty whenever called upon to protect 
the property they have acquired, or preserve public order and tran- 
quillity in the place where they reside, and are bound to take part 
in the elucidation of all questions that may arise in regard to said 
property, according to the existing laws, and before the tribunals of 
Mexico, without ever appealing to their rights of foreign citizenship, 
or to any intervention from a foreign power." 

" Grantees of public lands are compelled to locate on their grant 



EDUCATIOK 137 

at least one inhabitant for every two hundred hectares,* who shall 
reside thereon without interruption during ten years, not being ab- 
sent more than/bwr months during each year. In failing to comply 
with this clause of the law, they will forfeit their right to the land, 
as well as the price paid for it. 

"Any person enabled to hold property by 'denouncement' of 
public lands can not obtain more than 2,500 hectares,! by virtue of 
the law of limitation, until he has had possession of the land for ten 
years, and has complied with the other requisites of law, and those 
prescribed in the above clause." 

These extracts from the laws of Mexico are taken from 
Castro's RejouUic of Mexico, pp. 188-190. 

Lawyers who have taken a degree are termed Ucencia- 
dos. The leading counselors of the principal cities can gen- 
erally speak English. Very few foreigners have thus far 
begun the practice of law in the Eepublic. Excepting the 
Supreme Court at the capital (Suprema Corte), the court- 
rooms are open to the public. The judges sit from 9 to 
12 A. M., and from 3 to 5 p. m. The jurisdiction of the 
inferior tribunals {juzgados) resembles that of the county 
courts of the United States. 

Eor further information on the laws of Mexico, con- 
sult the following Spanish works : El Protocolo, El Co- 
digo, El Nuevo Escribano Instruido, Las Ordenanzas de 
Tierras y Aguas, and Las Ordenanzas de Mineria. The 
latter consists of mining laws. 



LI. 
Education. 



Ui^rORTUi^ATELY, a Small portion only of the Mexi- 
can people are able to read and write. The number of 

* 494^ acres. f Bjl'TH acres. 



138 GENERAL INFORMATIOK 

illiterate persons can only be estimated, as there are no 
accurate census returns. "We are of the opinion that it 
amounts to 6,500,000, or about two thirds of the entire 
population. 

Colleges (colegios) have been established in the principal 
cities for many years. There are schools of the arts, of 
law, of medicine, and of science. The Colegio de Mineria, 
or mining school, in the capital, was founded about the 
close of the last century. (See chapter on the City of 
Mexico in Part Second. ) 

The trayeler should not, however, be misled by this 
term ^'colegio.'' It is often used in the rural districts as 
synonymous with '^ school," yery much as it used to be in 
the Western States of the Union. Soon after the Erench 
inyasion, a common-school system similar to that of the 
United States was introduced into Mexico. The English 
language is now generally taught, and even many business 
men are studying it with a private tutor. A few industrial 
schools have been established in the larger cities. Mexican 
children are said to be very docile pupils, and in the hands 
of good instructors they learn readily. Among the wealthier 
families, it is common for parents to send their sons abroad 
to be educated, as to New York, London, or Paris ; and a 
few Mexican students may be found in the uniyersities and 
mining schools of Germany. ' 

Young women and girls attend only the parochial schools 
of the country, and the higher education is unknown among 
them. The completion of the American trunk-lines of rail- 
road may tend to increase the number of young men who 
go to the United States annually to "finish" their educa- 
tion. 

The following table is taken from Castro's Repullic of 
Mexico, p. 200. It shows the number of public schools in 
the States and the Territory of Lower California, and the 
cost of their maintenance for the year 1880 : 



I 



NEWSPAPERS. 



139 



STATES. 



1. Aguascalientes 

2. Oampeclie 

8. Coahuila 

4. Colima 

5. Chiapas 

6. Chihuahua 

7. Durango 

8. Guanajuato 

9. Guerrero 

10. Hidalgo 

11. Jalisco 

12. Mexico 

13. Michoacan 

14. Morelos 

15. Nuevo-Leon 

16. Oaxaca 

IT. Puebla 

18. Queretaro 

19. San Luis Potosi 

20. Sinaloa 

21 Sonora 

22. Tabasco 

23. Tlaxcala 

24. Tamaulipas 

25. Yera Cruz 

26. Yucatan 

27. Zacatecas 

Ter'y of Lower California, 

Total 



58 

43 

70 

18 

78 

78 

95 

176 

392 

412 

439 

887 

154 

47 

181 

234 

889 

101 

183 

238 

80 

48 

176 

60 

580 

163 

811 

17 



6,228 1,867 



26 
14 
80 
17 
12 
40 
80 

145 
28 
76 

2T5 

181 
89 
40 

104 
47 

118 
62 
56 
42 
25 
17 
18 

149 

39 

178 

9 



79 

57 
100 

35 

90 
113 
125 
321 
420 
518 
714 
1.068 
243 

87 
285 
281 
1,007 
163 
239 
280 
105 

65 
194 

60 
729 
202 
489 

26 



4,800 

8,600 

5,280 

1.452 

2,125 

3,350 

8,102 

10,754 

13,006 

15,819 

28,376 

41,321 

7,000 

8,209 

8.928 

16,420 

50,320 

6,271 

9,4S6 

6,600 

3.500 

2,695 

8.100 

4,000 

20,021 

8,659 

18,738 

677 



8,095 307,559 



12; a 



1,200 

700 

2,127 

1,502 

500 

928 

1,350 

7,045 

1,755 

3,371 

11,160 

10,245 

8,200 

5,887 

4,732 

8,296 

15,000 

2,922 

8,690 

2,600 

740 

525 

1,550 

5,937 

2,643 

6,653 

367 



6,000 

4.300 

7,857 

2,954 

2,625 

4,278 

4.452 

17,799 

14,761 

19,190 

39,536 

51,566 

10,200 

13,596 

18,660 

19,716 

65,320 

9,193 

13,176 

9,200 

4,240 

3,220 

9,650 

4,000 

25,958 

11,302 

20,391 

1,044 



101,125 408,684 1,510,446 



$10,Q00 
15,000 
26,000 
18,000 
10,000 
28,473 
20,000 
81,386 
34.965 
82,287 

100,000 

187,216 
52,756 
22,866 
68,000 
50,982 

153,000 
80,000 
40,000 
58,000 
20,000 
20,000 
20,000 
10,000 

218,935 
50,000 
72,000 
10,000 



LII. 
Newspapers. 

About sixty newspapers are published in Mexico. Most 
of them are printed in Spanish, and some are in French and 
in English. In the City of Mexico there are scYeral daily 
papers in Spanish and two in French. The Monitor Re- 
puUicano, which has an edition of about scYen thousand 
copies, is said to haYe the largest circulation, while that 
of many of the other newspapers does not exceed fiYC 
hundred. One semi-weekly English paper, The Two Re- 
publics, and one weekly journal half in Spanish and half 



14:0 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

in English, The Financier, are also published at the na- 
tional capital. A few American newspapers may be found 
in Chihuahua. All of them devote a large space to adver- 
tisements. 

Under the administration of Santa Anna began the 
subsidy of the press. Subventions are now given to papers 
that can not be published except at a loss. 

Formerly a special jury took cognizance of the offenses 
of the press, but a constitutional amendment passed in 
1883 brings these offenses under the jurisdiction of the or- 
dinary courts. 



LIII. 

Miscellaneous. 

Amekican" consuls or vice-consuls reside at the follow- 
ing towns : 

Acapulco, Batopilas, Camargo, Campeche, Chihuahua, 
Guadalupe y Calvo, Guaymas, Guerrero, La Paz, Manzanillo, 
Matamoros, Mazatlan, Merida and Sisal, Mexico, Minatit- 
lan, Monterey, Musquiz, Nuevo Laredo, Paso del Norte, 
Piedras Negras, Progreso, Saltillo, San Bias, San Jose, 
San Luis Potosi, Tampico, Tuxpan, Vera Cruz, and Za- 
catecas. 

There are no English consuls, but the British Govern- 
ment employs private agents. 

Doctors intending to practice in the Mexican Eepublic 
should learn at least one language besides Spanish, i. e., 
either Erench or English. 

Eeliable interpreters can be found in the principal cities 
only. 

The value of real estate is increasing in the large cities. 
The landlords are unwilling to sell unless at an exorbitant 
price ; accordingly, foreigners intending to engage in trade 



MISCELLANEOUS. 141 

or manufacturing will do well to lease property for long 
terms, instead of purchasing it. 

In 1881 the value of city property was $169,684,376 52 

And that of rural property was 181,873,994 04 

Total $351,558,370 56 

Americans in Northern Mexico, especially in Chihua- 
hua, haye been charged with a want of due respect for the 
local authorities. They haye invested largely in mines and 
ranches, and are unwilling to be controlled by the laws of 
the country. On August 1, 1883, a dispatch from Paso 
del ISTorte to a New York journal disclosed a new scheme 
for the acquisition of a part of Mexico by the United States. 
The plan is as follows : When Congress meets next winter, 
the Americans in Chihuahua, said to number ten thousand, 
are to '^pronounce" a dissolution of the relations of that 
State with Mexico, establish a local State government, and 
apply for admission to the United States. This scheme is 
discredited by those who are in a position to know the facts. 
It is to be hoped that every honest man in the United 
States, and, above all, that our Government, will sternly 
oppose this or any other scheme for despoiling our neigh- 
bors of their territory. 

BUSINESS OPPOKTUNITIES. 

Capital may be advantageously invested in Mexico as 
follows : 

1. In cattle and sheep ranches. 

2. In water companies for irrigation. 

3. In the manufacture of paper. (There are but three 
or four kinds of paper made in Mexico. Nearly all the 
white paper is imported. ) 

4. In woolen and cotton mills. 



142 GENERAL INF OEM A TION. 

5. In the manufacture of hardware and machinery. 
(The duty on hardware is enormous.) 

6. In the improyement of harbors and the construction 
of wharyes. (Many of the harbors might, at a small ex- 
pense, be rendered nayigable for large yessels.) 

7. " In the organization of district-telegraph, telephone, 
and electric-light companies. (The former are unknown. 
There are a few of the others.) 

8. In erecting hotels with all the modern conyeniences. 
(First-class hotels are very rare. ) 

9. In the culture of sugar, coffee, tobacco, cotton, and 
fruit. 

10. In opening the numerous wells of petroleum, and 
in refining the article. (Two refineries haye just been 
erected in the State of Vera Cruz. Petroleum is destined 
to be a great source of wealth to Mexico. In 1882, 1,300,- 
000 gallons were exported from New York to Vera Cruz. 
The country is capable of exporting this commodity to 
Europe, besides producing enough for home consumption.) 

"WTe haye omitted to name the mining of the yarious 
ores, as foreigners haye inyested largely in the Mexican 
mines. 

STAITDAED BOOKS 0]S" MEXICO. 

Clayigero, Storia Antica del Messico. ' 
Bernal Diaz, Historia de la Conquista. 
Sahagun, Historia Universal de Nueva Espana, 
Veytia, Historia Antigua de Mejico, 
Herrera, History of America. 
Solis, Conquest of Mexico. 
Kingsborough, Mexican Antiquities. 
Humboldt, Political Essay on New Spain. 
Humboldt, Atlas de la Nouvelle Espagne. 
Dupaix, Antiquites Mexicaines. 

Stephens, Incidents of Travel in Central America, 
Chiapas, and Yucatan. 



WRAT MEXICO NEEDS. 143 

Ward, Mexico in 1827. 

Calderon de la Barca, Life in Mexico, 

Prescott, Conquest of Mexico. 

Chevalier, Mexico j Ancient and Modern, 

Wilson, Mexico and its Religion, 

Wilson, History of the Conquest of Mexico, 

Tempsky, Mitla, Adventures in Mexico, etc. 

Buxton, Adventures in Mexico, 

Bullock, Six Months in Mexico, 

Brantz-Mayer, Mexico, as it was and as it is. 

Haven, Our Next-Door Neighbor, 

Lucas- Alaman, Historia de Mejico, 

Zamacois, Historia de Mejico, 

The New American Cyclopaedia, article on Mexico, 



LIV. 
What Mexico needs. 



That Mexico may assume an elevated rank in the fam° 
ily of nations, two conditions are necessary : first, the educa- 
tion and elevation of the mass of her population ; second, 
the development of her un equaled natural resources. 

According to an eminent American statesman and di- 
plomatist,* ^* of the ten millions of people in Mexico, fully 
three quarters are Indians, two thirds of whom can not 
read, nor ever had an ancestor that could, who never slept 
in a bed or wore a stocking, and who are accustomed to 
live at a less expense per day than a farm-horse would cost 
in any New England State." 

Comprising a territorial area sixteen times greater in 
extent than that of the State of New York, every vari- 
ety of climate, and, consequently, every vegetable product 

* The Hon. John Bigelow. 



IM GENERAL mFORMATIOK 

■whicli is found between the equator and the Arctic Circle, 
may be said to exist within her borders. Nor is this all. 
Besides having yielded one half of the existing stock of 
silver in the world, her mines are still believed to be the 
richest on the face of the globe. Her deposits of iron are 
unsurpassed in quantity and quality. To these are to be 
added every other metal which science has enumerated. 

How, then, shall the matchless vegetable and mineral 
resources of the Eepublic be developed ? That Northern 
enterprise, industry, and capital will become important fac- 
tors in the solution of the problem there is little room to 
doubt. The introduction of the most approved agricul- 
tural implements and processes, as well as of the most ap- 
proved methods of treating the ores, will, of course, increase 
many fold the productions in both departments of labor. 
Yet, under existing circumstances, such a result would be 
neither useful nor profitable. Indeed, without the open- 
ing of new fields of industry, and of new avenues for plac- 
ing the surplus products in the markets of the world, an 
increase of production might even prove disastrous. In his 
recent elaborate publication entitled Railways in Mexico, 
Senor Eomero, the Mexican Minister at Washington, perti- 
nently remarks : "A year of good crops in Mexico is a real 
calamity in many of the agricultural districts, as the pro- 
duction in that year far exceeds the consumption of the 
immediate neighborhood ; and grain can not be sent to any 
distance on account of the high cost of transportation." 

Happily, the first and most essential step has already 
been taken to provide adequate means of transportation for 
all the surplus products of the country. The great lines 
of railway which are now rapidly approaching completion, 
together with those which have been begun under the 
auspices of General Grant, Mr. Gould, and other experi- 
enced railroad managers, connecting, as they do, with the 
roads of this country, will become an integral part of a 



WffAT MEXICO NEEDS, 145 

system which is infinitely the grandest and most extensive 
in the world. Supplemented as these great avenues of 
trade and travel will be by innumerable turnpikes, which 
will form so many lateral tributaries, and for the construc- 
tion of which the face of the country affords exceptional 
facilities, their influence will be felt throughout the length 
and breadth of the land. 

But what Mexico needs, far more than the expansion of 
her physical resources, is the elevation of the toiling millions 
of her people. This result can only be achieved by their 
education, not alone in the lessons of the schools, but in 
the various branches of skilled industry and in social prog- 
ress and enlightenment. 

Thus far almost the only step which has been taken 
toward the intellectual culture of the young has been to 
provide schools for the training of the children of Spanish 
blood. Surely it requires no argument, in our day, to 
prove that the facilities for acquiring at least the element- 
ary branches of education ought to be placed within the 
reach of every child, without reference to color, creed, or 
lineage. 

This accomplished, the proper steps ought to be, and 
doubtless will be, taken to vest the ownership of the soil 
in its cultivators. The present land-tenure is what might 
reasonably be expected from the history of the country. 
Three centuries and a half ago the Spanish adventurers 
wrested it by force from the natives, and they and their 
descendants, almost without exception, have held it by the 
strong arm of power ever since. 

Of all the lessons of history, none is more emphatic 
than that the ownership of the soil by its cultivators is 
essential to a successful and profitable agriculture. The 
history of France before the outbreak of the Eevolution in 
the year 1789, the history of the British Islands, that of 
Ireland in particular, and our own experience as a nation 
1 



146 GENERAL INFORMATION. 

during the existence of negro slavery, are all full of instruc- 
tion upon this point. 

It may, indeed, be doubted whether any other measure 
of public policy so imperatiyely demands a wise and liberal 
adjustment as the settlement of the land-tenure. If others 
than the Mexicans are to inhabit the country in the future, 
it requires no soothsayer to predict that this course will be 
found to be indispensable. 

One of the first fruits of the diversified industry spring- 
ing from the new departure will be better wages, better 
food, better clothing, and better houses for the toiling 
millions. Following these will come the intelligent par- 
ticipation of every adult male citizen in the administration 
of public affairs. That best of all guarantees for the pres- 
ervation of civil liberty and social order — the co-operation 
of all classes of citizens for the protection of the rights of 
person and property — will come next in course. Eevolutions 
and brigandage, which have so long been the curse and op- 
probrium of Mexico, will no longer be possible. A perma- 
nent government " of the people, by the people, and for the 
people," will do away these and all kindred abuses. Thus 
will a new impetus be given to the cause of free govern- 
ment throu2:hout the world. 



PAET SECOND. 
CITIES AIsTD EOUTES OF TEAYEL. 



SECTIOISr I. 
Mexico. 

HOW TO EEACH THE COUNTRY. 

We give below the varions routes from New York to 
Mexico, by steamsliip and railroad, and partly by steamer 
and partly by rail : 

EouTE I. — From New York via Havana, Progreso, 
Campeclie, and Frontera, to Vera Cruz, by steamer, in 
about ten days. 

EouTE II. — From New York to New Orleans by rail in 
about sixty hours, thence steamer to Vera Cruz in about 
five days, calling at Bagdad, Tampico, and Tuxpan. 

EouTE III. — From New York to Laredo, Texas (on the 
Eio Grande), by rail in four days ; or to El Paso, Texas, 
via St. Louis, in about the same time. 



Eoute I. 

2^EW YOEK TO VERA CEUZ BY STEAMER. 

Fares, first class, |85 ; second class, $60. 

Leaving New York, the steamer reaches Havana in 
about four days. A stop of an entire day is generally 
made at Havana before proceeding to the Mexican ports. 



k 



148 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

The tourist will not only have time to see the city, but can 
also visit the wonderful caves of Matanzas and the valley of 
Yumuri, distant two hours by rail. (For a full description 
of Cuba and the West Indies, see Appletons' Hand-Booh 
of Winter Resorts.) 

From Havana the steamer proceeds to Progreso, in 
Yucatan,* arriving there in about thirty-six hours, and 
stopping about twenty-four hours. The traveler can now 
disembark in a small boat, and set foot on Mexican soil. 
Progreso is the seaport of the city of Merida, twenty-two 
miles distant. There is no hotel accommodation in Pro- 
greso, but the American consul can assist the tourist in 
securing lodgings. The town is well laid out, and has 
straight and broad streets. Tourists will be interested in 
the scenes of the fruit and vegetable markets on the plaza. 
The houses are usually of one story, and are built of mor- 
tar, with thatched roofs. 

Indians constitute the greater part of the population, 
which amounts to 1,900 inhabitants. Much hemp, rice, 
and maize are grown in IsTorthern Yucatan. Upward of 
90,000 bales of hemp are sent to the United States annually. 
Cacti and cocoa-palms are found in great abundance near 
Progreso. The tourist may have the opportunity of bath- 
ing in the warm surf before leaving town. 

A railroad has recently f been completed to the city of 
Merida (fares, first class, |1 ; second class, 75 cents). This 
is the capital of the State of Yucatan, and has about 32,000 
inhabitants. It is built on the site of the ancient Maya 

* Prescott states in the Conquest of Mexico^ vol. i, p. 222, that Yucatan 
is a corruption of the word " tectecan," meaning, in the Maya language, / 
do not understand. This terra was the reply which the Spanish navigators 
received upon landing on the coast, when they asked the natives the name 
of the country. Supposing it to be a direct answer to their question, the 
Spaniards called the newly discovered region Yucatan. 

t In 1881, ' 



MEXICO. 149 

city of Tihoo. Few travelers visit Merida, and hence there 
is only one small hotel there {Hotel Bazar). Several lines 
of railway are being constructed from this city to points in 
the interior. The road toward Peto, on the south, is now 
(July, 1883) 20 miles long ; that going to Valladolid, on 
the southeast, has been built for a distance of ten miles ; 
and seven miles of the line toward Calkini, on the south- 
west, have been finished. 

A concession has just been granted to some residents of 
Merida to construct a railway from the capital to Sotuta, 
via Izamal. 

Many interesting ruins are found in the northern and 
central parts of Yucatan. Tourists intending to visit them 
should purchase horses and provisions at Merida, and obtain 
letters of introduction {cartas de presentacion) to tlie offi- 
cials in the various towns. The most important ruined 
city is that of Uxmal, about 70 miles south of Merida. 
The cave of Saliachao is within a few miles of it. The 
remains of Chiclien-Itza and Izamal lie about 50 miles 
southeast of the capital, and those of Mayapan are situated 
about 30 miles south of Merida. These places are com- 
paratively easy of access. There are also interesting though 
less extensive ruins at Lahna, Zayi, Xcocli, and Ake, in 
Central and Southern Yucatan; but these localities have 
been rarely visited thus far by American or European trav- 
elers. (See chapter on ruins for a general description of 
these ancient cities and towns.) 

. Humboldt states that Yucatan is an arid plateau, whose 
surface does not rise higher than 5,070 feet above the sea- 
level. The greater part of the State is covered with allu- 
vial soil, and the climate is dry. Water is very scarce 
and valuable, there being only one river, the Rio Hondo. 
The rainy season lasts from April to October, during which 
time the reservoirs and tanks of the haciendas are filled for 
use in the remaining months of the year. 



150 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 



From Progreso the steamer takes a southwesterly course, 
and touches at Campeche, the capital of the State of the 
same name, and then proceeds to Frontera, in Tabasco. 
Cortes landed near the latter town on his Yoyage from Cuba 
to Mexico. 

Large quantities of logwood are exported from Fron- 
tera. The tourist may leaye the steamer at this point, and 
visit the famous ruins of Pale^^que, which are situated about 
150 miles to the southeast. The journey, howeyer, is a dif- 




A Tropical Jungle. 



ficult one, and a small boat must be hired to ascend the Usu- 
macmta Eiver. Guides, provisions, blankets, tents, medi- j 
cines, etc. , should be taken from Frontera. Travelers may 
also proceed to San Juan Bautista, the capital of the State 
of Tabasco (population, 6,800), and visit Palenque by road. 



MEXICO. 151 

Steamers do not toucli at the ports of Campeche and 
Frontera on every trip. (See time-table for exact dates of 
arrival.) The vessels anchor about five miles from the 
shore, and only stop long enough to transfer passengers, 
mail, and cargo to a small tender, and then continue on 
the direct route to Vera Cruz, reaching this port in about 
ten days out from New York, including stoppages. 

Approaching Vera Cruz, the snow-clad peak of Oriza'ba 
may be distinctly seen at a distance of 50 miles on a clear 
day, and the Cofre de Perote, another snow-capped mount- 
ain, is also visible. 

The Mexican coast is dangerous for navigators, on ac- 
count of coral reefs. Just before reaching Vera Cruz, we 
pass an island on the south side of the town. It is the 
Isla de los Sacrificios, and is said to have been used by the 
Aztecs for sacrificing a youth on a certain day in every 
year. 

The other island directly opposite the city of Vera Cruz 
is San Juan de Uloa. It was so named by Grijalva. This 
islet is covered with a fort, which was begun by the Span- 
iards in 1569, and finished in 1633. Hernando Cortes 
landed here on April 21, 1519. The fort is now used as a 
prison. Presently the steamer drops anchor. As soon as 
the health-ofi&cer has examined the vessel, and given the 
captain a clean bill of health, a large number of boats sur- 
round her, and the owners rush on board, offering their 
services to the passengers who are about to go ashore. 

There is no fixed price for disembarking at Vera Cruz, 
and the traveler should make a bargain with a boatman 
before leaving the steamer, to pay him so much for taking 
his baggage ashore, and also to the custom-house and hotel, 
A boatman will take a single passenger for a Mexican dol- 
lar, including the conveyance of his baggage to the hotel ; 
and, if a large party go in the same boat, an. arrangement at 
a reduced price can be made pro rata. 



162 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

Ifc is impossible to land at Vera Cruz during a norther, 
which blows at intervals from October to March. Tour- 
ists may be compelled to remain several days on the 
steamship waiting for the waves to subside. Neither sail- 
ing-vessels nor steamers can enter this port while the north- 
er lasts. Vera Cruz has really no harbor at all, although 
the two islands already mentioned afford some protection 
to the shipping during a storm. Vessels at anchor gener- 
ally put to sea during a severe norther. It has often been 
said that Cortes should have founded the city of Vera Cruz 
at Ant 071 Lizardo, a point about fifteen miles to the south- 
ward, which is the only good harbor on the Gulf of Mexico. 
The latter place is the terminus of a branch line of the 
Mexican Southern Eailroad, and is evidently destined to 
surpass Vera Cruz in commercial importance at an early 
day. {Compare Section VII.) 

A Trench company has recently entered into a con- 
tract with the Mexican Government to build an extensive 
breakwater in the harbor of Vera Cruz, which will cost 
about $10,000,000. 

VEEA. CEUZ. 

Population, 20,000. 

Hotels {Diligencias, Vera Cruzano, and de Mejico.) 

Cafes on the Calle de la Yndepcndencia. 

Telegraph-Office on the same street. 

Post-Office on the Calle dc Cinco de Mayo^ about a quarter of a mile 
southwest of the main plaza. 

Places of Interest. — 1. Plaza de la Constitucion. 2. Plaza del Mer- 
cado. 3. The parochial church, the tower of which should be ascended for 
a view of the city. 4. The Alameda. 

None of the buildings of Vera Cruz are worthy of a 
visit. The climate is usually hot and very unhealthy, the 
vomito, or yellow fever, being prevalent in the summer 
season, and even breaking out occasionally in the winter 
months. Tourists are advised to spend as little time in 



MEXICO. 153 

this city as possible. Passengers on the steamers may remain 
on board until within an hour of the departure of trains 
for the interior. During a norther, however, the tem- 
perature sinks to 65° Fahr., and then, of course, the stran- 
ger is not incommoded by heat. Travelers can have their 
foreign money changed at the office of the agents of the 
principal lines of steamships, Messrs. R. C. Ritter & Co. 

The streets in the city of Vera Cruz are laid out at 
right angles, and are paved with cobble-stones, with a ken- 
nel in the middle. 

Flocks of turkey-buzzards, called zopilotes, take the 
place of a street-cleaning department. These birds are pro- 
tected by law, a fine of 15 being imposed for killing one of 
them. 

The houses are of either one or two stories, and are gen- 
erally built of stone and mortar, and covered with red tiles. 
Many of them have paiios, or court-yards, and railings 
painted green in front of the windows facing the street, 
reminding the traveler of Old Spain. 

A walk, or ride in the horse-cars, from the main plaza to 
the Alameda, should be taken by the stranger. The variety 
of colors and signs on the buildings, the picturesque cos- 
tumes and musical language of the natives, and the tropi- 
cal vegetation, will have the charm of novelty to the tourist 
coming from a northern clime. 

Vera Cruz, formerly the capital of the State of the 
same name, is situated on the 19th parallel of north latitude. 
It was founded by the viceroy, Count Monterey, at the end 
of the sixteenth century, and was made a city by Philip III 
of Spain in 1615. The city is built on an arid plain. It 
was formerly called Villa Rica, or Villa Rica de la Vera 
Cruz — i. e., the rich city of the true cross. The original 
town of Vera Cruz founded by Cortes lies several miles 
north of the present city. 

Keferring to this spot, the historian Prescott, in his 



154 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 



Conquest of Mexico , vol. i, p. 229, says : " Little did the 
Conqueror imagine that the desolate beach on which he 
first planted his foot, was one day to be coyered by a flour- 
ishing city, the great mart of European and Oriental trade, 
the commercial capital of New Spain." 

At the present day about two thirds of Mexican com- 
merce passes through the port of Vera Cruz. The imports 




JaUipa. 

are increasing rapidly, those of 1882 being nearly fifty per 
cent greater than those of 1881. 



An excursion may be made to Jalapa, sixty miles dis- 
tant, by tramway. It is said that the railroad between 
this town and Vera Cruz will be completed on January 1, 
1884. 

Jalapa. has a population of 12,400, and an elevation of 
4,335 feet. (Hotels, Nacional and Vera Cruzano.) The 



MEXICO. 155 

town is beautifully situated at the foot of the Macuil- 
tepete Mountain. The well-known Cofre de Perote, 13,552 
feet high, according to Humboldt, is within a day's jour- 
ney. There are no buildings in Jalapa of special interest 
to the tourist except the old convent of San Francisco. 
Many of the merchants of Vera Cruz have their country- 
houses at Jalapa. The climate is cool, although damp, for 
the greater part of the year. The soil is very fertile, and 
coffee, tobacco, vanilla, cotton, maize, and jalap are culti- 
vated extensively. The town derives its name from the 
latter plant. 

Travelers may visit the ruins of Papantla, which lie 
about fifty miles north of Jalapa. Diligences run as far 
as Tusintlan ; thence one must go on horseback. The 
teocalli lies about six miles from the town of Papantla, 
which contains a small hotel. Dr. Autrey, an Ameri- 
can physician, can give the tourist information about 
the country. Horses, blankets, and provisions should be 
procured for this journey. (See chapter on ruins for de- 
scription.) 

There is another teocalli at Tusapan, 45 miles west of 
Papantla. 

The village of Misantla, which is situated 30 miles 
northeast of Jalapa, contains a small pyramid. 

An Aztec temple may also be found at Mapilca, on the 
Rio Tecolutla. 

If the tourist has reached Vera Cruz by the northern 
route, he may make an excursion to the famous ruins of 
Palekque, by taking a steamer down the coast to Mina- 
titlan on the Goatzacoalcos Eiver, and thence proceed by 
road via San Cristobal ; or he may go directly to the mouth 
of the Rio Grijalva, ascend the river to San Juan Bau- 
tista, and then travel by horseback to Palenque via Macus- 
pan. This trip is somewhat difficult, but the traveler will 
be well repaid by visiting the ruins, which lie about eight 



156 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

miles from the town of Palenque. (For description of the 
buildings, see chapter on rains.) Tourists should procure 
letters of introduction to the Government officials in the 
country lying between the coast and Palenque. There are 
no hotel accommodations, and the traveler will be obliged 
to pass the nights in Mexican huts, where he may always 
expect courteous treatment. 

Tourists are recommended to provide themselves with 
sufficient provisions, tents, camp-bedsteads, mosquito-net- 
ting, and medicines. Extreme caution should be taken to 
avoid the numerous insects as much as possible. The jun- 
gle abounds with moniquiles, jiggers, ticks, red ants, etc. 
The moniquiles burrow under the skin, causing great suf- 
fering. Should the stranger be attacked by these peculiar 
insects, he should employ the common remedy of j)asting a 
leaf over the bite, which causes the insect to come to the 
surface, when it may be extracted. The natives will point 
out the peculiar kind of leaf to be used. 

Route II. 

FROM KEW TOEK TO KEW ORLEAl!fS BY RAIL, THEI^CE BY 
STEAMER TO VERA CRUZ. 

Fare to New Orleans, $38. Fares from New Orleans to Vera Cruz — 
first class, $50 ; second class, $35. 

(For description of New Orleans, see Appletons' General 
Guide to the United States, or Hand-Booh of Winter Re- 
sorts.') 

Leaving New Orleans, the steamer descends the Missis- 
sippi Eiver for about one hundred and twenty-five miles, 
and, entering the Gulf of Mexico by the South Pass, takes 
its course toward Bagdad, the port of Matamoros. No land 
is seen till the vessel approaches within a few miles of 
the latter town. We drop anchor about five miles from the 
shore, and a tender comes out to take off passengers, cargo, 



MEXICO. 157 

and the mails. Matamoros, in the State of Tamaulipas, is 
a port of entry, and lies on the south bank of the Rio 
Grande y opposite Brownsville in Texas, and about thirty 
miles from the mouth of the river. The population is 
about 12,000. A railroad is in progress toward the city of 
Monterey. Another is projected southward to Tamjpico. 
(See Section XII.) 

Leaving Bagdad, we sail southward, keeping out of 
sight of land almost all the way to Tamjpico. On reaching 
the latter port the passengers, freight, and mail are trans- 
ferred to a small sail-boat and carried over the bar at the 
mouth of the Rio Tamjpico to the town of the same name 
about nine miles distant. There is a small hotel at Tam- 
pico, and the population numbers 7,000. 

Ten miles to the northward is the Rio Pdnuco, famous 
in the history of New Spain as being the terminus of Gri- 
jalva's voyage from Cuba along the coast of the Gulf of 
Mexico, and also noted as the spot where the remnant of 
De Soto's band of explorers landed in their unfortunate 
voyage southward from the mouth of the MississijDpi. 

The Rio Pdnuco is about one thousand feet wide, 
and is said to be navigable for a distance of twenty 
miles from its mouth. Small steamers connect Tamjpico 
with stage-coaches for 8an Luis Potosi via Ciudad del 
Maiz. 

A branch of the Mexican Central Eailway is being con- 
structed from Tamjpico toward the city of San Luis Po- 
tosi. (For description, see Section V.) 

From Tamjpico the steamship proceeds to Tuxjpan, where 
passengers, freight, and mails are landed by means of a 
small sailing-vessel. The town lies nine miles above the 
mouth of the Titxpan Eiver, and has about 4,000 inhabit- 
ants. This river is navigable for about thirty miles, but 
there is only six feet of water on the bar at high tide. No 
hotel accommodations are to be had in Tuxjpan. 



158 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

Papantla may be reached in two days on horseback. 
(See p. 46.) 

Yahiable petroleum- wells are found in the yicinity, and 
two American companies have already erected works to 
refine the oil."^' The petroleum occurs chiefly in the State 
of Vera Cruz, between the Pdnuco and Tuxpan Rivers. 
The wells are mostly near the coast, at GJiapapote, Santa 
Teresa, Juan Felipe, Escondida, SepuUura, Carribajal, 
Monte Grande, Paso Grande, and on the borders of the 
Laguna de Tamialiua. There are submerged stone ruins 
in this lagoon. A railroad from this port toward the City 
of Mexico is projected, but it will probably be several years 
before the work of construction is finished. 

It should be borne in mind that passengers can disem- 
bark at Bagdad, Tampico, and Tuxpan in good weather 
only. During severe northers they are taken to Vera Cruz, 

Route III. 

FEOM KEW TOKK TO LAREDO, TEXAS, EITHER VIA ST. 
LOUIS, MISSOURI, OR NEW ORLEAl^S, LOUISIANA ; OR TO 
EL PASO, TEXAS, EITHER VIA TEXAS AND PACIFIC RAIL- 
WAY, OR ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND SANTA EE RAILROAD. 

Fares from New York to Laredo^ $69.15 unlimited, and $58.80 limited ; 
and from New York to El Faso, $"74.60 unlimited, and $64.85 limited. 

(For description of these routes from New York south- 
ward, see Appletons' General Guide to the United States.) 

Sections IV and V of Part Second describe respectively 
the routes from Laredo and El Paso to the interior of 
Mexico. 

* The Vera Cruz Oil Company was organized at Boston in 1881. Mr. 
Thomas Nickerson, Hon. B. F. Butler, and others, are shareholders. A 
well has been drilled to a depth of 372 feet, and filled with a five-inch 
casing. Experts say that this oil is very promising, and that there is only 
eight per cent waste. Land is cheap, the rate of taxation is low, and there 
is a duty of 21 cents a gallon on imported petroleum. 



MEXICO. 



159 



Tourists visiting Mexico from San Francisco, Califor^ 
nia, by rail, should take the Southern Pacific Eailroad to 
Benson, Arizona, 1, 024 miles distant, and proceed to Quay- 
mas, or other points on the west coast ; or go directly to 
El Paso, a distance of 1,286 miles, and thence travel into 
the interior. 




A Mexican Canon. 



SECTION II. 
The Mexican Railway Company (Ferrocarril Mexicano). 

FROM YEEA CEUZ TO MEXICO. 

263^ miles, or 424 kilometres. Fares, first class, $16 ; second class, 
$12.50 ; third class, $7.25.* Time, 14| hours. 

This route will be described as follows : 

1. From Vera Cruz to Orizaba. 

2. From Orizaba to Esperanza. 

3. From Esperanza to Pnebla via Apizaco. 

4. From Fuebla to the City of Mexico. 

1. From Yeka Cruz to Orizaba, 82 miles. 

The tourist is advised not to proceed directly to the 
lofty table-land, but to remain a few days at some inter- 
mediate point, e. g., at Cordoba or Orizaha, in order to 
become accustomed to the rarefied air. The latter city is 
preferable as regards hotel accommodations, and it presents 
besides some objects of interest to the sight-seer. There is 
only one through passenger-train daily, w^iich at present 
(1883) starts at 6 a. m. Leaving the railway-station, which 
is six and one fifth feet above the Gulf of Mexico, the road 
traverses a broad plain, which is barren near the city of 
Vera Cruz. The tourist soon encounters a dense growth of 
cactus and cliaparral, with a few palms interspersed. 

A branch road leaves the main track about three miles 
from Vera Cruz, and runs to 3fedelUn, six miles distant. 

* The diliKcnce fare from Vera Cruz to Mexico used to be 



TEE MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY. 161 

In the tierra caliente (hot land) the hovels of the natives 
are of one story, and are generally thatched "with palm- 
leaves. 

Three lines of telegraph are seen by the side of the 
track. One of them belongs to the National Government, 
another to a private corporation called ^^The Commercial," 
and the third to the Mexican Kailway Company. The last 
uses imported poles of cast-iron, with white china insulators. 

Passing the station of Tejeria (9|- miles), whence a 
branch tramway leads to Jalapa, 60 miles distant, the sur- 
face of the ground continues flat, and affords good grazing 
all the way to Soledad (26 miles) ; elevation, 305 feet. Here 
the train stops ten minutes. Coffee and bread are for sale, 
at the price of "one real. The majestic, snow-clad peak of 
Orizaba now rises into full view. For a hundred miles the 
eye follows the crest of the sierra forming the eastern 
boundary of the table-land. 

The plain of the State of Vera Cruz is about thirty miles 
in width. After crossing the Soledad Eiver, the ascending 
grade becomes perceptible. At many of the railway-stations 
cakes of compressed coal are piled in large masses. They 
are imported from Great Britain, as there is no coal near 
the line of the road, and wood being scarce and dear, except 
in the vicinity of the volcano of Orizaba. 

The next station is Camaron (39^ miles). The road 
now crosses a plateau covered with basaltic bowlders. The 
so-called Spanish moss, or lichen, hangs from the trees, 
reminding the American tourist of the forests of Georgia 
and Florida. 

Faso del Macho (47^ miles) is the next stopping-place. 
Here the train begins to ascend a heavy grade. The 
track makes a wide curve around the base of the thickly- 
wooded CMquihuite Mountain, and soon comes in sight of 
the cascade of the Rio de Atoyac. The adjacent region is 
covered with a dense tropical jungle, in which many species 



162 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 



of flowers and trailing yines grow luxuriantly. The matted 
forest extends to the summits of the neighboring hills. 
Perhaps no other part of Mexico possesses a richer yegeta- 
tion than this portion of the route. It forms a striking con- 
trast to the dreary plains which the trayeler will soon reach. 
The train now arriyes at Atoyac (53^ miles) ; eleyation, 
1,512 feet. The line- crosses a bridge oyer the Rio de 
Atoyac, This, like the other bridges along the route, is 
built of iron, with stone piers. Proceeding farther, seyeral 
tunnels are passed, and both tobacco and sugar-cane are 
seen growing in the yicinity. 

The next station is Cordola (65f miles), which lies at 
the altitude of 2,713 feet aboye the leyel of the Gulf. This 
town has about fiye thousand inhabitants, and is one mile 
distant from the railway. It is reached by horse-cars, and 
it has a small hotel. Cordola is famous for its coffee-plan- 
tations, and the stranger will have no better opportunity in 

Mexico for yisit- 
ing one of them. 
A day may be 
spent to advan- 
tage at Cordola. 
Various kinds of 
fruit grow plenti- 
fully, and are sold 
at a yery low price. 
A basket of two 
dozen oranges 
costs twenty - five 
cents, whereas the usual price on the table-land is three 
oranges for a medio (six and a quarter cents). Mexicans 
en route to the capital often lay m a large stock of pine- 
apples, bananas, and oranges at Cordoha, and take them to 
their homes, as the extortionate rates of freight on this 
railway render fruit yery expensive in the City of Mexico. 




TJie Pineapple Plant. 



THE MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY. 163 

Most of the coffee consumed in Eastern Mexico grows in 
the vicinity of Cordoba. There are many valuable planta- 
tions, and a few Americans have established themselves 
here. It may be remarked that the State of Vera Cruz 
produces more coffee than any other State in the Republic. 
Leaving Cordoba, the road makes a long bend and crosses 
the bridge of Metlac, built over a river of the same name. 
The scenery is magnificent, and the ravine, or barranca, 
of Metlac contains one of the most skillful pieces of engi- 
neering to be found in the country. The general plan of 
building the Mexican railways has been to wind around the 
bases of the several mountains, rather than to drive long 
tunnels or construct large bridges. Passing the hamlet of 
Fortin (70f miles), the next station is Orizaba (82 miles). 

OKIZABA. 

Population, 1*7,000 ; elevation, 4,028 feet. 

Hotels. — A la Borda (German), Diligencias^ and Cuatro Nadones. 
Baths. — De Santa Rita on the main street ; very good. 
HoRSE-CARS from the station to the hotels ; fare, a medio (6 J cents). 
Hacks, 6 reales (75 cents) an hour. 

Orizaba is the present capital * of the State of Vera Cruz, 
It lies in a broad and very fertile valley. There is excel- 
lent pasturage in the vicinity, and fine cattle are raised. 
The staple products of the valley are tobacco and sugar- 
cane. There are several haciendas of the latter, the largest 
of which is at Jalapilla. Tobacco grows in the outskirts 
of the city in large quantities. Even church-yards have 
been turned to use for planting this article. During the 
Spanish domination, when the restrictions on trade were so 
oppressive, the cultivation of tobacco was confined by law 
to the district including Cordoba and Orizaba, and the 
Government employed inspectors to pull up any leaves of 
the plant that were found growing outside of it. 

* Jalapa was formerly the capital. 



164 CITIE8 AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

Places of Interest. — 1. The Parroquia and other churches. 2. The 
Paseo. 3. The Cerro (hill) del Borrego. 4. Jalapilla (sugar-mill). 5. The 
cascade of Rincon Grande. 6. The cascade of Barrio Nuevo. 

The Paseo is one of the most beautiful parks in Mexico. 
It is about a half-mile from the principal hotels. 

The Cerro del Borrego should be ascended. Its sum- 
mit commands a magnificent yiew. During the inya- 
sion, the French defeated the Mexicans here on June 13, 
1862, and the remains of the fortifications are seen to this 
day. There is a limestone-quarry at the base of the moun- 
tain. 

Jalapilla is a hamlet about a mile and a half south of 
the city. It lies in the midst of rich fields of sugar-cane. 
There is a large sugar-mill here, belonging to 8enor Bringos, 
and the tourist will have an excellent opportunity of see- 
ing how sugar is manufactured. We may add that a 
much larger quantity of sugar could be produced in 
the valley of Orizaba than is now yielded, because only 
a small part of it is occupied by the sugar-cane. This 
remark would also apply to the greater part of the arable 
land in the State of Vera Cruz in regard to crops of other 
articles. 

This State ranks second in the annual production of 
sugar, Morelos being the ^.rst. The Emperor Maximilian 
resided a short time at Jalapilla after the French army had 
evacuated the capital. Here he held the famous council to 
determine whether he should abdicate or not. 

The cascade of Rincon Grande is about a mile east of 
Jalapilla. There are several waterfalls about forty feet in 
height, which are surrounded by very luxuriant vegetation. 
There is another cascade {Barrio Nuevo) of smaller dimen- 
sions on the north side of the valley of Orizaba. 

Owing to the scarcity of ram m Mexico, waterfalls are 
very highly regarded. They are found chiefly in the tierra 
templada and in the ^^ foot-hills " of the Sierra Madre. The 



I 



THE MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY. 165 

majestic peak of Orizaba is visible only from the eastern 
end of the city. An intervening ridge prevents the ob- 
server from seeing it in other quarters of the town. If the 
tourist will leave his hotel early enough to see the sun rise 
on the mountain, he will behold one of the grandest sights 
in Mexico. 

Most of the houses in Orizaba are one story high, with 
overhanging red-tiled roofs. The traveler will have a 
chance to examine the class of dwellings occupied by the 
poor people. They are constructed of all kinds of rub- 
bish, such as old boards, sugar-cane stalks, barrel-staves, 
sun-dried bricks, and pieces of matting. These huts are 
generally thatched with joalm-leaves or with dried strips of 
the maguey, and the solid ground serves as a floor. The 
climate of Orizaba is temperate but very moist. Bull-fights 
take place on Sunday afternoons, the bull-ring, or plaza 
de tor OS, being in an old convent. Another large church is 
now used as a barracks for the garrison. There is a Ma- 
sonic lodge in the upper part of the same edifice. 

The stranger, by visiting the registrar's ofiice {oficio 
publico mas antigud), can inspect some of the old Spanish 
deeds written on parchment, with many abbreviations, dur- 
ing the time of Cortes. The mediaeval Spanish contains so 
many contractions as to be almost incomprehensible to the 
Mexican of to-day. For example, instead of writing q-u-e 
for the word que, meaning ^' which, '^ in those days they 
wrote simply the letter q, with the addition of a semicir- 
cular curve, which was carried over to the first letter of the 
next word, giving the two words the appearance of a single 
one. Notwithstanding the age of these manuscripts, they 
are still in an excellent state of preservation. 

2. From Orizaba to Esperanza (29 miles). 

Leaving Orizaba, the railroad traverses the flat plain, 
aiid passes the village of Horales, which boasts of a small 



166 CITIES AUB ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

cotton-factory. The next station is Enurial (88-J miles). 
A Fairlie engine, wliicli is constructed of two locomotives, 
with the tender on top, is now attached to the train. The 
grade soon becomes very heavy as the iron horse climbs the 
cumbres, or summits. Passing through several tunnels, 
the Barranca del Infiernillo is reached. This locality affords 
the most magnificent scenery along the entire route. The 
track is built on the edge of a precipice, and a roaring 
torrent is seen at the bottom of the rocky canon, six hun- 
dred feet below. The tourist may now look back on the 
broad valley, and trace the course of the winding railway, 
interspersed with bridges, and see the old diligence road in 
the distance, which is to-day given up to pack-animals. 
Trains of lurros, or donkeys, still transport the wares of 
the peasant to the neighboring villages. 

The next station is Maltrata (94|- miles), where the ele- 
vation is 5,550 feet. The volcano of Orizaia is visible from 
this poiut. It is, however, generally covered with clouds, 
except in the early morning. There are so many curves, 
and the ascending grade is so steep, that the train only 
makes about seven miles an hour in this part of the journey. 
Some maize is grown beyond Maltrata, but the country is 
barren for the most part. 

Bota (97-J- miles) is the next station. The line now 
makes another great bend around the steep slope of the 
mountain, and comes to Alta Luz (103 miles), a hamlet of 
several houses. If the observer will look back, he may see 
the village of Maltrata, with the track meandering across 
the plain, and, far in the distance, a glimpse of the valley 
of Orizala may be obtained. 

The traveler has reached the tierrafria, or cold zone. 
The flora reminds one of the Eocky Mountains. Dwarf 
pines, spruces, and deciduous trees, with a few Alpine 
flowers, take the place of the luxuriant tropical vegetation 
of the *Miot country" that has recently been traversed. 




THE MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY, 167 

Blue limestone covers tlie country from Orizaba west- 
ward, and the region is adapted, to grazing to some ex- 
tent. The next station is Boca del Monte, or ^^ mouth 
of the mountain" (lOT-l miles), where the elevation is 
7,924 feet. 

The tourist has now attained the level of the great 
table-land, of Mexico. This point, however, is not the high- 
est on the line, the 
summit being near 
Guadalupe, about 
eighty miles distant. 
The traveler crosses 
a flat plain for sev- 
eral miles, and ar- 
rives at Esperanza 
(llli miles). 

The train stops Tlds cut shows the zones of vegetation in going 
j.| • J. Yiiinntes for from the sea-level to the summit of the snow' 

'' clad peaks. 

dinner. The east- 
ward and westward passenger-trains meet here. The re- 
spective escorts of soldiers change cars, and are carried 
back to the termini of the road. A high wall surrounds 
the station, and a guard stands at each entrance. A small 
but well-kept hotel lies within the inclosure. It belongs 
to the railway company, and a French restaurateur is 
employed as manager. The nights and early mornings 
are very cool on the table-land, the thermometer usually 
falling to 40° Fahr., and occasionally below the freezing- 
point. The plain of Esperanza, which has an area of 
about forty-five square miles, is quite fertile. Wheat, bar- 
ley, and Indian corn are grown in abundance. If the 
tourist will stop over for a day, he may visit a fine hacienda, 
or farm, at 8an Anto7iio deAdajo, about two miles distant. 
It belongs to Don Andres Gutierrez, and is valued at 
$200,000. ThQ hacienda conid^um houses for the jt?eo^5, or 



168 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

day-laborers, barns, stock-yards, blacksmith and carpenter 
shops, etc. There is also a quaint little church, which bears 
the date of A. d. 1772 on the belfry. The hacendado, or 
proprietor, employs a priest to officiate, and also to teach 
the children of his peons, who number seyeral hundred. 
There are a great many horses, mules, cattle, and sheep on 
the farm, and the owner uses plows of American manufac- 
ture. 

The traveler has an excellent yiew from Esperanza of 
the volcano of Orizaba, which rises behind the Sierra Negra. 
The mountain can be ascended from this point. It is dif- 
ficult, however, to procure horses here, and accordingly 
the tourist is recommended to make the ascent from San 
Andres, about six miles distant by trail, but fifteen miles 
by the railway. 

The peak of Orizaha is 17,200 feet above the sea-level, 
and is the highest mountain in Mexico, with the exception 
of Popocatepetl. There were violent eruptions in 1545 and 
1566, but the volcano has been quiet ever since. It was 
reported to be smoking in April, 1883. There is no diffi- 
cult climbing on the mountain, but the ascent is exceedingly 
laborious on account of the steepness of the snow-clad cone. 
It is almost impossible for the traveler coming direct from 
Vera Cruz to ascend Orizaba. He should spend several 
days on the table-land, and accustom his lungs to the rare- 
fied atmosphere, before starting out for the summit of the 
peak. The tourist can ride to a cave just below the timber- 
line, which is about 13,500 feet above the level of the sea, 
and pass the night there. Guides, blankets, and provisions 
for two days must be taken. As the clouds rise and often 
cover the mountain early in the forenoon, the traveler 
should leave the cave by 4 A. m. if possible. About five 
hours will be required to reach the summit. Very few 
persons thus far have climbed Orizaba. 

An excursion to Oaxaca and Mitla may be made from 



THE MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY. 169 

Esperanza. A horse-railroad extends from the latter place 
to Tehuacan, thirty-one miles distant. A diligence is then 
run to Tecomadapa, abont forty miles farther. Thence the 
tourist must travel by horseback via the villages of Teotit- 
lan, Cues, Dominguillo, Joyacatlan, San Juan, and Etla^ to 
Oaxaca, about ninety miles distant. TeJiuacan (Hotels, Dili- 
gencias and FerrocarriT) has a population of 10,000. The 
traveler is advised to procure horses in this place. There 
is a meson (inn) at Tecomabapa, but the other settlements 
being very small are destitute of hotel accommodations. 
The nights must be spent in the huts of the natives. Par- 
ties making this trip are advised to carry provisions with 
them. The Mexican Southern Railroad will eventually 
connect TeJiuacan with Oaxaca. The latter city is de- 
scribed in Section VII, and the reader is referred to the 
chapter on ruins in Part First for an account of Mitla, 

3. From Esperanza to Puebla via Apizaco, 94f miles. 

Leaving Esperanza, the traveler sees the snow-capped 
summits of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl on the left, and 
the pyramidal peak of Malinche on the extreme right. The 
landscape reminds him of the parks of Colorado. The 
railroad crosses the broad plain, and the station of Sa7i 
Andres (126:^ miles) is reached. Horse-cars run to the 
town, about five miles distant. It has already been stated 
that the volcano of Orizaba may be ascended from this 
point (p. 168). The summit is about fifteen miles dis- 
tant. 

The train now passes some maize-fields and the salt lakes 
of El Salado, and arrives at Rinconada (139 miles), eleva- 
tion 7,731 feet. The country soon becomes fertile again, 
and the next station is San Marcos (150^ miles). Another 
railway crosses the track here, extending to PueUa on the 
south, and to San Juan de Llanos on the north. It will 
be completed in the autumn of 1883 . Proceeding farther, 
8 



lYO 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 



the train stops at Huamantla (161 miles). The traveler is 
now in the State of Tlaxcala, the former home of the great 
rivals to the Aztecs, whose services Cortes secured on the 
march from Vera Cruz to the valley of Mexico, thereby 
greatly increasing his forces. Much Indian corn is culti- 
vated in the neighborhood, and the maguey, or aloe, and 
nopal, or cactus-tree, are used as fences. The picturesque 
mountain of Ifalinche lies behind the town. It was named 

after Dona Marina, the 
interpreter of the Span- 
ish army under Cortes. 

The next station is Api- 
zaco (176f miles), eleva- 
tion 7,912 feet. A branch 
line leads from this point 
to PueUa, 47 kilometres, 
or 29i miles. It was 
opened on September 16, 
1869, 

Leaving Apizaco, the 
road makes a long curve 
and runs southward to 
8anta Ana (10^ miles). 
The mountain of Malin- 
che remains in full view. 
It is often snow-capped, and the natives bring the snow 
to the train and sell it in glasses mixed with lemon-juice. 
Maguey, maize, and wheat grow in large quantities along 
the line. The grade is downward all the way to Pue- 
Ma. 

The tourist soon comes in sight of the majestic snow- 
clad peaks of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. The former 
has an elevation of 10,500 feet above the broad valley. The 
next station is Panzacola (21f miles), and a half-hour's 
ride brings the tourist to Puetla. 




The Nopal. 



TEE MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY. 171 

PUEBLA. 

Population, 64,588 ; elevation, 7,201 feet. 
Hotels. — Espanol, DiHgeficias, Del Crisio, Del Recreo. 
Restaurants and cafes on the northern and western sides of the plaza 
mayor. 

Baths, adjoining the Paseo viejo (1 real). 

Carriages, 50 cents an hour ; on Sunday and feast-days, 75 cents. 

Pueola was founded on September 28, 1531. The city 
is par excellence an old Spanish, settlement. It is often 
called PueUa de los Angeles, or town of the angels. Since 
May 5, 1862, the city has been named PueUa de Zaragoza, 
after a general of that name, who defeated the French on 
the date above mentioned. The churches are finer than 
those of any other Mexican town, and the streets are well 
paved. The houses are usually built with two stories, and 
arcades are found on the plaza mayor. There are twenty- 
six public squares and two parks in PueUa, 

The adjoining city of Cholula was the headquarters of 
Cortes for several months during the Conquest. Pictures 
of some of the battles between the Spaniards and the nar 
tives may be seen on the walls of the hotels. Blankets, or 
zarapes, hats of straw and felt, soap, thread, crockery, and 
glass are manufactured in large quantities in PueUa. Many 
fine stores are found in the city, and the traveler can pur- 
chase ornaments of the so-called Mexican onyx, or tecali, 
which occurs in the neighboring marble-quarries. It is 
composed chiefly of carbonate of lime. 

The stranger should ascend one of the towers of the 
cathedral for a view of the city. The scene is one of sur- 
passing beauty. Malinclie lies on the eastern side of the 
fertile plain, and the volcano of Popocatepetl rises about 
twenty-five miles to the westward. Tourists can ascend the 
latter mountain from PueUa. Guides, blankets, and pro- 
visions for three days, must be taken ; but it will be more 
convenient to make the ascent from Amecameca, on tbe 



172 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

western side of the ridge. (This trip is described in the 
section on the Morelos Eailway. ) 

Places op Interest. — 1. The Cathedral (observe the wood-carvings and 
Mexican onyx-work). 2. The Church of San Francisco. 3. The Church 
of La Compania. 4. The Church of San Cristobal. 5. The Museum, 6. 
The College, or Colegio del Estado. 7. The Paseo Nuevo and Paseo Viejo. 
8. The Pyramid of Cholula. 9. Fort Guadalupe. 



Popocatepetl. 

There are several other churches, but they are hardly 
worth a visit. We have not space to describe all of the 
above buildings. The reader is referred to the chapter on 
ruins for an account of the pyramid at Cholula. At the 
time of the arrival of the Spaniards, Cortes states that the 
city of Cholula contained 20,000 houses and about 150,000 
inhabitants. To-day the population is less than 10,000. 



TEE MEXICAN RAILWAY COMPANY. 173 

A church built by Cortes, and containing some quaint his- 
torical paintings, is yet standing. Cholula can also boast 
of a park. The town has an altitude of 6,906 feet accord- 
ing to Humboldt, or about 300 feet lower than PueUa. It 
is reached by carriage and by horse-cars (fare, first class, 
twenty-five cents). The distance is seven miles. Maguey 
and wheat are grown to a large extent in the yicinity. 

4. From PuEBL A to the City OF Mexico. Distance, 11 5f miles. Two trains 

daily. 

Leaving Puebla, the road has an ascending grade to A'pi- 
zaco. The heaviest is near the latter place. From Apizaco 
the land rises slightly, and the track crosses a gently undu- 
lating plain covered with extensive maguey plantations. 

Guadalupe (186|- miles) is the next station. The high- 
est point of the Mexican Eailway is near by. It is 8,333 
feet above the Gulf of Mexico. This is the most elevated 
station in the Eepublic, except where the Mexican National 
Eailway traverses the sierra between Toluca and the capi- 
tal. The summit of the latter route is 9,974 feet. At 
various points of the road the tourist will see soldiers, wear- 
ing gray uniforms, and armed with carbines and sabers. 
They are the Guardia rural, or mounted patrols, who ac- 
company the diligences, and protect the smaller towns from 
the depredations of robbers. 

Passing 8oUepec (192f miles) ; and Apam (205| miles), 
which has* an elevation of 8,226 feet, the train reaches Irolo 
(215^ miles). A tramway leads from the last station to Pa- 
chuca, thirty-seven miles distant. Pachuca is one of the 
oldest mining towns in Mexico, and many of its mines are 
worked at the present day ; but, as the daily passenger- 
train from Vera Cruz and Apizaco does not connect with 
the tramway, the tourist is advised to proceed directly to 
the capital, and make an excursion to PacJiuca, taking the 
outward morning train. (For description, see Section III.) 



174 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

Leaying Irolo, where the elevation is 8,046 feet, the road- 
bed descends gradually toward the City of Mexico. The 
next station is Ometusco (221^ miles), following which comes 
La Palma (225 J miles). 

Tourists will observe that the houses in the villages on 
the table-land are built of large, sun-dried bricks, called 
aclole. The country is sparsely populated, and the natives 
live together in towns or hamlets. It is very rare to see a 
dwelling isolated from any settlement. 

Passing Otumla (229 miles), famous in history as the 
scene of a battle in which the Spanish invaders defeated the 
Aztecs, on July 8, 1520, we reach San Juan Teotihuacan 
(236 miles). The latter place is celebrated for its two pyra- 
mids, that of the Sun and that of the Moon. They may 
be seen from the train, but a visit to these teocalUs will re- 
pay the traveler. As the town lies about one and a half 
mile from the railroad, and as there is neither hotel nor 
restaurant in it, the tourist must continue the journey to 
the national capital, and make an excursion to Sa7i Juan 
Teotiliuacan by the morning train, returning in the even- 
ing. (The pyramids are described in the chapter on 
ruins.) The next station is Tepexpam (243 miles), and 
the track soon enters the far-famed valley of Mexico. The 
road skirts the Lake of Texcoco, and presently the magnifi- 
cent snow-capped mountains are seen on the south. Pass- 
ing the town of Guadalupe, the traveler arrives at the rail- 
way-station of Buena Vista, one of the suburbs of the City 
of Mexico. 

An express-agent meets the train, and will deliver bag- 
gage to any part of the city. He will also take charge of 
the keys, as trunks and boxes must be opened and examined 
for the purpose of ascertaining Avhether they contain tax- 
able articles before being allowed to enter the city. The 
office of the express is in the Hotel Iturbide, and the charge 
is twenty-five cents (two reales) for each package. 



SECTION" III. 
The City of Mexico and Environs. 

Population of the capital in 1883, according to the best estimates, 
225,000. Elevation, 7,347 feet, or 2,240 metres, above the sea-level. 

Hotels. — San Carlos^ Iturhide^ Gilloio, Comonfoi-t, Gzcadiola, Nacionaly 
Europa, Del Bazar, Universal, Espiritu Santo, Gran Hotel Central, Ortega, 
San Agustin, and several others. 

Mesones (inns). — De San Francisco, De la Estrella, De San Antonio, 
Del Picadero, and many others. 

Restaurants. — Iturhide, De la Concordia, Cafe Anglais, Maison Doree, 
Cafe de Paris. (Fee in restaurants, one medio (6J cents) for each person.) 

Post-Office. — In the Calle de la Moneda. 

Telegraph-Offices in the railway-stations. Central office of the Gov- 
ernment telegraph line in the Colleton del Espiritu Santo No. 5. Office 
hours, 8 A. M. to 8 p. M. ; on feast-days from 9 a. m. to 12 m. Office of the 
Vera Cruz Commercial line, at No. 14 Del Refugio. Office of the old line 
to Jalisco, in Los Bajos de San Agustin No. 2. 

Express-Office in the Hotel Iturhide, Wells, Fargo & Co. have also an 
agency in the city. 

Theatres. — Nacional, in the Calle de Vergara ; Principal, Calle del 
Coliseo ; Arheu, in the Calle de San Felipe Neri. 

Baths adjoining the Teatro Nacional (the others can not be recom- 
mended). 

General Diligence-Office, in the rear of the Hotel Iturhide. 

Carriages, first, second, and third class. — ^First class, carrying hlue flags, 
$1 an hour on work-days, and $1.50 on feast-days. Second class, with red 
flags, 75 cents and $1 on work-days and feast-days respectively. Third class, 
with white flags, from 6 a. m. to 10 p. m., 50 cents, and from 10 p. m. to 6 a. M., 
$1 an hour on all days. Public carriages have their number and a tariff of 
charges printed in Spanish posted in a conspicuous manner inside. The driver 
is obliged to hand the passenger entering his carriage a paper containing 
the tariff, his name and number, and the place where he belongs. In hiring 
a vehicle, one quarter of an hour is the minimum that can be paid for. 

Saddle-horses, |2 for the afternoon. 



176 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

Banks. — London, Mexico, and South America, Capuchinas No. 3 ; Na- 
cional, corner (esqiiina) of San Francisco and San Juan de Letran Streets ; 
Mercantil Mexicano, San Agusiin No. 15 ; Bolsa Mercantil Mexicana, Puerto 
te del Espiritu Santo No. 6. 

Societies. — Mexican Geographical and Statistical Society, Calle de San 
Andres No. 11 ; Mexican Academy, Calle de Medina No. 6 ; American club- 
house at the suburb of La Piedad ; German club, corner {esquina) del Cole- 
gio de Ninas and Independenda Streets ; French Philharmonic and Dramatic 
Society, 2'^'^ de Plcderos ; French Circle (reading-room), Antigua Lonja, 
Bajos de la Lispnctacion ; Hunting and Fishing Club, Sta. Isabel No. 9. 

Eailway-stations at Buena Vista, for the Mexican Railway Company, 
and the Mexican Central Railroad Company ; at Colonia, for the Mexican 
National Railway Company; at San Ldzaro for the Morelos Railway Company. 

HoRSE-CARS, of first and second class, start from the Plaza mayor at 
intervals of ten, fifteen, thirty, and sixty minutes, for all parts of the city 
and suburbs not exceeding ten miles distant. (See time-tables.) 

Diplomatic Corps. — The United States, France, Spain, Guatemala, Sal- 
vador, Honduras, and ChiU are represented by envoys extraordinary and 
ministers plenipotentiary at the capital. Germany, Italy, and Belgium 
have ministers resident. Formerly Great Britain had diplomatic relations 
with Mexico, but they were suspended on account of the failure to pay a 
public debt. At present (July, 1883), Senor Mariscal, the ex-Secretary of 
Foreign Affairs, is negotiating for the renewal of diplomatic intercourse 
with England. The foreign ministers live in the suburb of San Cosme. 

Newspapers. — Single copies, one medio (6J cents). The Two Republics, 
published semi-weekly, is the only journal in English. The Financier is 
printed half in Spanish and half in English. Besides these, several papers 
are pubMshed in Spanish and French, such as the Monitor Republicano, 
Diario Oficial, and others. 

Bull-fights, at the suburbs of Huisachal and Cuautitlan, on Sunday 
afternoons. 

The City of Mexico is the capital of the Eepublic. 
The name is derived from Mexitli, who was the Aztec 
war-god. Under the name of Tenoclititlan it was the capi- 
tal of the ancient empire of Analiuac. The story of its 
origin is as follows : The Aztecs, while wandering about 
the country, met the Oolhuans, a rival tribe. A battle en- 
sued, and the former, being defeated, were pursued by the 
latter. The Aztecs marched to the valley of Mexico, which 



THE CITY OF MEXICO AND ENVIRONS, 177 

was then mostly covered by lagoons. An oracle had com- 
manded them not to found a city till they had come to a 
spot where an eagle would be seen standing on a rock. 
Upon exploring the shores of the lagoon, the Aztec rovers 
beheld the long-sought eagle resting on a cactus, which 




The Volcanoes of Popocatepetl and IztacciJmatl. 



grew out of a crevice in the solid rock. Accordingly, they 
called their city TenochtUlariy which signifies a '^cactus 
upon a rock." 

The device of an eagle, with a serpent in its beak, stand- 
ing on a cactus that grows out of a rock, has become the 
escutcheon of Mexico. It is found on the national flag, as 
well as on the gold and silver coins. 

The present capital lies in latitude 19° 25' 45" north, 
and longitude 99° 5' 15" west of Greenwich. Ifc is built on 



178 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

what was formerly an island in tlie Lake of Tezcuco,* The 
ancient city is said to have been founded on July 18, 1325. 
Some of the houses were constructed on piles, like the pre- 
historic Swiss lake-dwellings. In order to protect the capi- 
tal from the inundations of the surrounding lakes, a system 
of dikes was established by the Aztecs, the remnants of 
which exist to the present day. In 1466 Montezuma I, 
after a disastrous flood in Tenoclititlan, ordered a dike to 
be constructed, which was 39,360 \ feet long and 65 feet 
wide. 

At the time of the Conquest the ancient capital was en- 
tered by the Spaniards under Cortes on the 8th day of No- 
Yember, 1519. After a residence of about seven months, he 
was compelled to eyacuate it. In the following year, with 
the aid of brigantines on Lake Texcoco, which were built 
especially for the purpose, in the neighboring hills, the Con- 
queror attacked and besieged the city. The siege lasted 
seventy-five days, when the Aztecs surrendered to the in- 
vaders. Soon afterward the Spaniards destroyed Tenoch- 
Utlan, and built a capital of their own on the same site, 
which has since borne the name of Mexico. Cortes made 
a great mistake in founding the modern city on the site of 
the old one, which was situated on soft ground, and in- 
volved an expensive system of dikes and causeways. It 
would have been preferable to have selected an elevated 
spot in the vicinity, like Tacuhaya, about six miles south of 
the capital. Scarcely a vestige remains of the ancient me- 
tropolis. Several Aztec monuments, such as the calendar and 
sacrificial stones, and a few idols, have been dug up on the 
site of TenocJititlan ; but the ruins of not even a single house 
or temple can be found to-day. These relics were practically 
incapable of destruction. Accordingly, they were buried. 

The teocalli, or pyramid of the ancient capital, was 
much smaller than those of San Juan TeotiJiuacan and 

* Now spelled Texcoco. f About seven and a half miles. 



THE CITY OF MEXICO AND ENVIRONS. 179 

Cholula. It was ninety feet on each side at tlie base, and 
decreased as it advanced in height to a surface of thirty feet 
square. There were two altars on the summit. Thus much 
for the history of Tenochtitlan. 

The y alley of Mexico, near the center of which lies 
the capital, is about forty-two miles long and about thirty 
miles wide. It contains six lakes, which were originally 
one large lagoon. Their names are — ^beginning at the 
south — XocMmilco, Chalco, Texcoco, San Cristobal, Xalto- 
can, and Zumpango, The last-named lake is the highest, 
while Texcoco is the lowest and largest. Lake Texcoco has 
heretofore received the overflow of the others. Their 
aggregate area is about twenty-two square leagues. The 
water of these lakes is salt, excepting that of Xochimilco. 
They are probably the highest bodies of salt-water in the 
world. 

The climate is temperate, the mean annual temperature 
being 60° Fahr. There is considerable moisture in winter 
and during the rainy season, from June to September. 
The most changeable weather occurs in February. May is 
the hottest month. During the entire year the early morn- 
ing is cold, the thermometer generally falling to about 40° 
Fahr., and occasionally sinking below the freezing-point. 
There are no fireplaces nor hot-air furnaces in the houses 
of Mexico, which circumstance renders a stranger uncom- 
fortable during damp and cold weather. Travelers are 
cautioned to be extremely careful to avoid taking cold on 
reaching the capital. Many of the buildings are old, and 
the doors and windows do not fit tightly. 

Mexico can hardly be called a healthy city. The great 
desideratum of the capital is proper drainage. This sub- 
ject has been investigated by the ablest minds in the coun- 
try from time immemorial. During the Spanish domi- 
nation the dikes and causeways often proved insuflicient to 
protect the city from floods. Since the foundation of the 



180 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

capital, or since the Conquest, there have been fiye great 
inundations, yiz., in 1553, 1580, 1604, 1607, and 1629-'34. 

In 1607 the Viceroy Salinas began the artificial drain- 
age of the lakes, by constructing a canal at Huehuetoca, 
on the northern side of the valley. This canal, or de- 
sague, is described at length in the section on the Mexican 
Central Railroad, which now passes through the remains 
of it. The Indian system of dikes had been temporarily 
abandoned, and the canal proving a failure, the result was 
a terrible inundation in 1629, which lasted five years. 
During this period communication was made by means 
of canoes, the seat of government was removed to one of 
the suburbs, trade was at a stand-still, and the distress and 
misery of the lower classes baffled all description. It was 
deemed advisable to return to the dike system, which has 
been preserved ever since. 

Por many years the Plaza mayor was only three or 
four feet above the level of Lake Texcoco. The level of this 
lake varies from year to year, and there is now a gauge on 
the Plaza mayor to indicate the height of its waters. 
Owing to evaporation the surface of the lake is much lower 
than during the reign of the viceroys. In the winter of 
1882-^83 it was about six feet heloiu the Plaza mayor. 
There are no cellars in the City of Mexico, and water is 
reached a few feet below the street-pavement. The soil is 
so soft that a solidly cemented foundation of lime and 
stone is used for the larger buildings. 

In 1882 an American company entered into a contract 
with the Mexican Government to drain the valley of Mex- 
ico, agreeing to deposit a bond of $200,000 as a guarantee 
to carry out the scheme. The last session of Congress, 
however, declared this contract forfeited on account of the 
failure to file the bond. 

It has been suggested that a thorough system of drain- 
age for the capital would do more harm than good, for the 



THE CITY OF MEXICO AND ENVIRONS. 181 

reason that the heavier buildings might settle so much as 
to render them unsafe. The early Spanish historians nar- 
rate that, before the Conquest, the yalley of Mexico was 
covered with dense forests. The foreign invaders made 
war on these forests, as did the Puritans in New England, 
and to-day, with the exception of the magnificent grove of 
GliapuUepec, there are only a few rows of trees of recent 
growth along the causeways,* 

The houses in the capital are built of heavy masonry, 
with stairways of stone, and with roofs and floors of brick 
and cement. Each building includes one or more open 
court-yards, or patios. These patios are either paved with 
flag-stones, or planted with flowers and shrubbery, and 
adorned with fountains and statuary. In the suburbs the 
dwellings do not generally exceed one story in height, but 
in the heart of the city they frequently rise to three. The 
entrance of each house from the street is by a single porte 
cocliere, which is closed at night, and attended by a porter, 
who occupies an adjoining room, and who is held respon- 
sible for the entries and exits. 

The capital is virtually fire-proof, it being next to im- 
possible to set fire to a Mexican house. 

In dwellings of more than one story, the upper floor, on 
account of the higher ceilings, is always preferred as a resi- 
dence, although it commands the highest rents. The 
ground-floor is commonly occupied for business purposes — 
e. g., for stables, store-houses, or workshops. 

There are no aristocratic streets nor quarters in the 
City of Mexico, the homes of both the upper and lower 

* The Mexican Government has recently made a contract with Oscar A. 
Drorge to plant 2,000,000 trees in the valley of Mexico within four years, 
500,000 a year, for $200,000. The contractor agrees to put in annually 
80,000 ash, 35,000 willows, 12,000 poplars, 60,000 eucalypti, 60,000 acacias, 
and other varieties, in plantations of from 50,000 to 100,000 ; and to receive 
in his nurseries three graduates annually of the Agricultural School. 



182 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

classes being scattered over the metropolis, and oftentimes 
being found under the same roof. 

The capital is indifferently watered by two aqueducts 
containing respectively clear and muddy water. 

The supply is conducted by pipes to numerous tanks 
and open fountains located in all parts of the city, whence 
it is distributed for family use by a licensed corps of agua- 
dores, or water-carriers. Their charges are from two cents 
to twelve and a half cents a load, according to the distance 
of the fountain from the place of delivery. 

The public edifices and business houses are lighted with 
gas of inferior quality. In private dwellings kerosene-oil 
and stearine candles are generally used. Some quarters of 
the city are illuminated with lamps of gasoline or petro- 
leum. Eecently, the electric light has been employed on 
the Plaza mayor and adjacent streets. 

Places of Interest. — 1. The Cathedral and El Sagrario. 2. The Palace 
and Maximilian's Coach. 3. The Museum {El Mztseo Nacional). 4. The 
Academy of San Carlos. 5. The Mining School {Colegio de Mineria). 6. 
The Mint {Casa de Moneda). '7. The Church of La Santissima. 8. The 
Ghnvch. oi Santo Domingo. 9. The Church of Xa Pro/esa. 10. The Church 
of Santa Teresa. 11. The Church of San Fernando. 12. The Convent of 
San Francisco. 13. The National Library {La Bihlioteca JVacional). 14. 
The Park {La Alameda). 15. The Tivoli Gardens. 16. The Drive 
{Faseo de la Reforma). 17. The Canal {El Paseo de la Viga). 18. Alva- 
rado's Leap {El Salto de Alvarado). 

In the Environs. — 1. Chapultepec. 2. Atzcapaizalco 3ind the Koche-triste 
tree. 3. Tacuhaya (Military Academy and private residences). 4. Guadalupe 
(church and chapel). 5. La Piedad {Al Fresco^ the American Club). 6. San 
Angel. All of which are reached by horse-cars from the Plaza mayor. 

We have not space enough to give a minute account of 
each one of the above objects of interest ; accordingly, a 
brief reference will be made to them in the above order : 

1. The tourist should ascend one of the towers (200 
feet high) of the Cathedral for a view of the city (fee, one 
real). This edifice was commenced in 1573, and finished 




.1* 



184: CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

in 1667, at a cost of 11,750,000. It covers a space of about 
432 X 200 feet. This Cathedral is the largest in North 
America. Some of the paintings within are said to be the 
work of MuiHllo. The Emperor IturMde is buried in one 
of the chapels. The' Aztec temple, or teocalU, formerly 
occupied the site of the Cathedral. The famous Calekdar- 
Stoke leans against the wall of this building. It is twelve 
feet in diameter, three feet thick, and weighs twenty-five 
tons. The Sagrario has a beautifully carved fa9ade. Just 
east of it is a monument erected to the memory of the dis- 
tinguished engineer Enrico Martinez, which contains a 
gauge to register the level of Lake Texcoco ia the pedestal. 
2. The Palace, which is built on the site of that of 
Montezuma, is the largest building in Mexico, the front 
measuring 675 feet. It contains the Embassadors' Hall, or 
Sola de Emlaj adores, and Maximilian's Coach. The for- 
mer is a room about 310x30 feet, with a throne at the 
southern end for the President and his Cabinet. It has, 
among other objects, full-length portraits by Segredo and 
other Mexican artists of the heroes of the War of Inde- 
pendence, such as Hidalgo, Morelos, Alle7ide, and others ; 
also portraits of Juarez, Diaz, and Washington, and a large 
13ainting of the great battle of PueUa, of May 5, 1862. 
Maximiliaj^'s Coach is in a room on the ground-floor, 
near the center of the Palace. The body of the vehicle is 
painted dark red. The wheels are gilded, and the interior 
is lined with white-silk brocade, with trimmings of heavy 
silver thread. There is no other coach of equal magnifi- 
cence in the Western World. It surpasses in elegance the 
imperial carriages of Eussia. Strangers should not fail to 
see it. The doors of the Embassadors' Hall and of the 
room containing the coach are always locked. The keys 
may be obtained at the ofiice of the Governor of the Pal- 
ace, which is near the middle door of the fa9ade. (A 
fee of one real should be paid to the 7nozo who shows 



TEE CITY OF MEXICO AND ENVIRONS. 185 



the traveler the coach, and two reales to the seryant who 
opens the door of the Sola de Emhaj adores.) 

The Cathedral and 
Palace are situated on 
the Plaza mayor, in 
the center of which is 
the zocalo. 

3. The Museum 
contains the sacrificial 
stone and many idols 
on the ground-floor; 
and Maximilian's sil- 
ver service, several 
portraits, a large col- 
lection of Mexican cu- 
riosities, chiefly pot- 
tery, and photographs 
of the ruins of Yuca- Quetzalcoatl. 

tan and Cliiapas, are 

found on the second story. It is to be regretted that the 
latter part of the Museum is open to the public only on 





Feathered Serpent. 
These idols are in the patio of the Museum. 



186 



CITIES AND B0UTE8 OF TEAYEL, 



Sundays from. 10 A. m. to 1 p. m., Tuesdays from 10 A. M. 
to 12 M., and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p. m. 

The court-yard is always open to visitors. The sacri- 
ficial stone {Piedra de los sacrificios) is the principal ob- 
ject of interest. It is 8f feet in diameter, 2f feet high, and 

27|- feet in circumference. It 
was found in the Plaza mayor on 
December 17, 1791. The num- 
ber of human beings sacrificed on 
this celebrated stone is estimated 
at sixty thousand I 

The manner of sacrifice was 
as follows : The yictim was made 
to lie down, his feet and hands 
were held by four priests in gaudy 
attire, while a fifth pierced his 
breast with a razor of itztli, or 
Yolcanic glass. The latter then 
inserted his hand into the wound, 
and, tearing out the heart, threw 
it at the foot of the adjoining 
idol. The reader is referred to 
Prescott's Co7iquest of Mexico, 
Yol. i, pages 74-86, 
for a full descrip- 
tion of human sac- 
rifices. We have 
not space to de- 
scribe the serpent- 
idols and other objects, the number of which is forty-seven. 
Small catalogues in Spanish are sold at the door. It may 
be said that the collections made by M. Charnay in South- 
ern Mexico, through the liberality of Pierre Lorillard, Esq., 
of New York, are in the museum, although not on exhibi- 
tion, with the exception of a few objects. It was the pur- 




Teoyaomiqui. 



TEE CITY OF MEXICO AND ENVIRONS. 187 

pose of M. Charnay to send his collections of antiquities 
to Paris, but the Mexican Congress refused to pass a bill 
allowing the articles to be taken out of the country. 

4. The Academy of Sak Oaklos is the only academy 
of the fine arts in the country, except one at Guadalajara, 
It contains a large number of paintings and some plaster 
casts of well-known statues. Most of the pictures are the 
work of foreign artists, such as ZurlaraUy Murillo, Ru- 
henSy Correggio, and Velasquez, Some of them have been 
painted by Mexicans, and possess considerable merit. The 
principal native artists are Jbse and Luis Juarez, Cabrera, 
Parra, and Balthazar de CJiave. Unfortunately, there is 
no catalogue of the pictures. An art-school is connected 
with the academy. ( Vide Chapter XXII. ) 

5. The MiKiKG School was considered by Humboldt 
as one of the finest buildings in the country. It occupies 
a lot 300 X 340 feet, and has collections of rocks, minerals, 
and fossils, chiefly from Mexico. It cost 11,500,000. 

6. The Mint is the oldest in Mexico. It is ojDen from 
8 A. M. to 5 p. M. 

7. The Church of La Saktissima is noted for the ex- 
quisite carvings on the fa9ade. 

8. The Church of Saitto Domi^stgo, in a square of the 
same name, possesses beautiful gilt wood-work, some old 
paintings, and a wooden model of the Saviour, in a recum- 
bent attitude, and wearing a crown of thorns. Persons 
entering the church kiss the toe of this figure in the same 
manner as devout Eoman Catholics kiss the statue of St. 
Peter at Eome. A table stands near the image to receive 
offerings (limosnas). The ruins of a convent, overgrown 
with weeds, are in the rear of the church. The Custom- 
House and Medical School are situated on the eastern side 
of the Plaza de Santo Domingo. The latter was once used 
by the Inquisition, and it now has a library and anatomical 
museum. 



188 CITIES ARD ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

11. The Church of Sak Ferj^ais'DO contains the ashes 
of the unfortunate Generals Mejia and Mu'amon. 

16. The Paseo de la Eefoema (sometimes called El 
Paseo de Bucareli), or ^'Empress Drive," leads from the 
Alameda to Cliapultepec. Statues of Charles IV of Spain, 
Christopher ColumluSy and President Juarez, have been 
erected on the Paseo, The fashionable hour for driving is 
from 5 to 6 p. M. 

17. The Cakal, adjoining the Paseo de la Viga, pre- 
sents a busy scene in the early morning. The Indians 
bring their fruits and vegetables to market, and the canal 
is crowded with their rafts and canoes. The tourist should 
hire a canoe and visit either Lake Texcoco, about three 
miles distant, or the " vegetable " gardens, a mile and a half 
from the terminus of the '' Viga " horse-car track. A party 
of three or four persons may employ an Indian to paddle 
them to the gardens for the sum of one dollar. There is 
no tariff of charges, and a bargain must be made. Sailing 
through the narrow canals cut in the marshy soil, where 
fruits, vegetables, and flowers grow abundantly, the traveler 
may form some idea of the ancient aspect of the Venice of 
the l^ew World. The chinampas, or so-called fioating isl- 
ands, which have always excited the wonder of foreigners, 
are never seen at the present day. They were formed of 
small masses of earth, covered with herbs, and held togeth- 
er by roots, and are detached from the shore of the lagoon 
by the waves during stormy weather. These gardens are 
known to have been in use as far back as the end of the 
fourteenth century. They were afterward artificially con- 
structed by making rafts of reeds, rushes, roots, and brush- 
wood, and covering these with black mold naturally im- 
pregnated with muriate of soda, but gradually purified from 
the salt and rendered fertile by washing it with the water 
of the lake. Some of the chinampas are movable and 
driven about by the winds, but others are anchored or at- 



THE CITY OF MEXICO AND ENVIRONS. 189 

tached to the shore, and are towed or pushed with poles 
from one spot to another. The Indians occasionally huilt 
huts on these cliinamjpas, and are said to have raised vege- 
tables on them. 

18. Alvakado's Leap is marked by a small bridge in 
the Galle de los Hombres Ilustres, just west of the Alame- 
da, The San Cosme horse-cars pass the spot. This street 
was formerly a causeway leading from the capital toward 
the mainland, over which the Spaniards passed in the 
evacuation of the city on the memorable noche triste, or 
"sad night" of July 1, 1520. The portable bridge over a 
breach in the causeway had been destroyed, and Alvarado, 
unwilling to plunge into the waters of the lake, paused 
upon the brink for a moment. Eesting his long lance on 
the ground, he succeeded in leaping across the gap, to the 
great astonishment of both the Spaniards and Aztecs. This 
place has ever since been known as the Salto de Alvarado. 
As the width of the breach is not given by the chroniclers 
of the time, the reader can have no means of judging how 
skillful a pole-vaulter this Spanish warrior may have been. 

A card of admission must be obtained at the Palace for 
permission to enter the castle of Chapultepec* During 
the French invasion the castle was occupied by Maximilian, 
that personator of Napoleon's dream of empire in the West- 
ern World. The view from Gliapultepec is one of sur]3ass- 
ing beauty, and the grounds contain a magnificent grove 
consisting chiefly of cedars draped with Spanish moss. 
One of the trees has been named after Montezuma. The 
stranger is advised to hire an open carriage by the hour, 
and drive to Chapultepec and the neighboring town of 
Tacnhaya, visiting the Military School and stately villas if 
possible. 

The celebrated Noche-teiste tree is situated in the vil- 
lage of Popotla, near an old church. Cortes is said to have 

* ChapuUepec means " grasshopper's hill." 



190 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 



sat under this tree and cried over his misfortunes, after 
the disastrous retreat of the Spaniards during the night 
of the eyacuation. The tree is known to the Indians as 
the ahuehuete, and is called a sahino in Spanish. It is a 
species of cedar, and is ten feet in diameter at the base and 




TTie Noche-trisU Tree. 



about forty feet high. An iron railing surrounds it. The 
Atzcapotzalco horse-cars run through the Riviera de San 
Cosme, passing Alvar ado's Leap, the houses of the foreign 
legations, the Tivoli Gardens, the School of Agriculture, 
the Tlaxpana aqueduct, and the noche-triste tree, before 



THE CITY OF MEXICO AN'D ENVIRONS. 191 

reacliing their destination. This aqueduct was builfc by the 
Spaniards, and contains the agua delgada, or soft water. 
It has nine hundred arches of about fifteen feet in height, 
each of which is said to have cost 11,000. At San Cosme 
the aqueduct terminates, and the water is conducted under- 
ground in pipes to the heart of the city. 

The causeway that leads to Popotla and Atzcapotzalco 
is bordered on either side with a deep ditch into which the 
water drains and becomes stagnant. The surrounding re- 
gion, which is now much lower than the causeway, was 
formerly a part of the great Mexican lagoon. Many of 
Oortes's soldiers were drowned here on the "sad night." 

The suburb of Guadalupe is remarkable for its cathe- 
dral and chapel. It is reached by horse-cars from the 
Plaza mayor in about thirty minutes. The cathedral is a 
massiye brick edifice, with four towers around a central 
dome. The interior is noted for the solid silver railing, 
about three feet high, which leads from the choir to the 
high altar and extends around the edge of the latter. The 
famous picture of the Virgin hangs in the high altar. The 
choir is adorned with artistic wooden carvings, and there 
is a large organ on each side of it. There are a great many 
ex-votos hung on the wall of the cathedral near the main 
entrance. They are principally cheap oil-paintings and 
wax-work. 

The sanctuary of Guadalupe is, perhaps, the most cele- 
brated in the Republic, and the story of how it was built 
and named after Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe is interest- 
ing. The tradition is as follows : An Indian called Juan 
Diego worked in the vicinity of Guadalupe. On one occa- 
sion, while crossing the hill of Tepeyacac that rises behind 
the town, he saw a rainbow, in the middle of which was a 
beautiful woman encompassed by a white cloud. Upon 
approaching the figure, the Indian was told that she was 
the mother of God. The Virgin said that she desired a 




o* 

^ 






^3 



g 



THE CITY OF MEXICO AND ENVIRONS. 193 

temple to be built in that place, and that she would render 
aid and protection to all believers who would call upon her 
when in trouble. She further commanded him to report 
to the Bishop of Mexico what had taken place. The Indian 
did as he was directed, but Zumarraga, who was then bishop, 
discredited his statement. The Virgin appeared to the In- 
dian several times afterward, and on one occasion ordered 
him to pick flowers from the barren mountain and take 
them to the bishop. Accordingly, he gathered beautiful 
flowers where none had previously grown, and carried them 
in his tilma or cloak to the episcopal palace. After telling 
his story, the Indian dropped the flowers on the floor, when 
suddenly the bishop fell on his knees at the sight of the 
image of the Blessed Virgin, that appeared to be painted 
on the cloak of Juan Diego. 

A long poem has been written on this miraculaus ap- 
pearance of the Virgin, and it is sold in book-form at the 
door of the cathedral. Ribbons of various colors, giving 
the size of the head of Our Lady of Guadalupe, are also 
offered for sale. A high mass is celebrated on the 12th 
day of every month, and on the 12th of December a great 
religious festival takes place, which is attended by persons 
from all parts of the Republic. It is the anniversary of 
the day upon which the Virgin first appeared to Juan 
Diego. Among the illustrious dead buried in this cathe- 
dral are the Viceroy Bucareli and Colonel Obregon. The 
original flag that was carried by Hidalgo in 1810 is de- 
posited here. 

The chapel of Guadalupe is situated on a hill directly 
behind the cathedral. A good view of the valley of Mex- 
ico may be obtained from the fa9ade of the former. 

The famous Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed at 
this place on the 2d of February, 1848. 

The battle-fields of Cliapultepec, Molino del Rey, and 
CTierubusco, lie a few miles south of the capital. A hand- 

9 



194 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

some stone monument has been erected, by Generals Diaz 
and Gonzalez, near the castle of Chapultepec, to the mem- 
ory of the heroes of the war of 1847. 

The tourist will have some difficulty in finding his way 
about the streets of the City of Mexico, as each block has a 
different name. Some streets have the same appellation 
for two or three squares, with a number added to each one 
— e. g., la, 2da, and Sra de San Francisco. 

The principal business thoroughfare is the Calle de Pla- 
ter os, which leads from the Plaza mayor toward the Ala- 
meda. 

The finest shops in Mexico are on this street ; English 
and French are spoken in some of them. Several new 
buildings are being erected, and others improved, in this 
part of the city. 

A walk through the colonnades known as the Portal 
Mercaderes will be found interesting. The military band 
plays in the adjoining zocalo four evenings in the week. 

Strangers will be pleased with the variety of Mexican 
costumes seen in the public squares. The black-cloth suits 
ornamented with silver buttons, and broad-brimmed felt 
hats with silver bands, are the most picturesque of all. 

A great deal of pulque is consumed in the national cap- 
ital, and the traveler will meet many intoxicated persons 
on the street. It is said that there are two thousand shops, 
or pulquerias, in the city, at which thirty thousand gallons 
of pulque are consumed daily. 

If the tourist has but a single day to spend in the cap- 
ital, he should visit the Catliedral, Palace, Museum, Acad- 
emy of San Carlos, Church of Santo Domingo, Paseo de 
la Reforma, Chapultepec, and go to the opera in the 
evening. 

There is some kind of opera, either French, Spanish, 
or Italian, nearly all the year round. 



196 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

EXCURSIONS AROUKD THE CAPITAL. 

We would advise tlie tourist to leave his trunk at some 
hotel in the City of Mexico, and make short trips in all 
directions. 

The best excursions are as follows : 

1. From Mexico to Celaya via Mexican Central Railroad, and return via 

Marayatio and Toluca. This route is described in Sections IV and Y. 

2. To the Pyramids of San Juan Teotihuacan. Distance, 25 miles. 

Take the morning train to the station of the same name 
on the Mexican Eailway, and walk or drive to the pyramids, 
about two miles distant. The larger one is dedicated to the 
Sun, and the other is called the j)yramid of the Moon. An 
extensive view may be had from the summit of the former. 
The valley of Mexico is clearly seen, and in the distant 
south the Nevado cle Toluca is visible. (See chapter on 
ruins for a complete description of the teocalUs.) There 
are no hotel accommodations at San Juan Teotihuacan. 
A bad fondita may be found in the town, but the traveler is 
recommended to carry provisions with him from the capi- 
tal, and return by the afternoon train. 

3. From Mexico to Pachuca. Distance, 57 miles. 

Pacliuca contains some of the oldest mines in the Ee- 
public. Many of them were worked long before the Span- 
ish Conquest. The town lies in the State of Hidalgo, and 
is reached by rail from the City of Mexico to Irolo, and 
thence by tramway. (Hotel, San Carlos.) There is a gov- 
ernmental school of practical mining here. The popula- 
tion of Pachuca is about 13,000, of which 5,000 are miners, 
and the altitude, as measured by Humboldt, is 8,150 feet. 
A great many Cornishmen are employed here, although this 
mining district is one out of a very few in which European 
or American miners have been introduced. Pachuca con- 
tains about one hundred and fifty mines, and Eeal del 



TEE CITY OF MEXICO AND ENVIRONS, 197 

Monte has seyenty-five of them. The ore is composed 
mainly of blackish silyer sulphides. Several English com- 
panies have established themselves in Facliuca, and an 
American company has recently been organized to work 
the tailings of some of the older mines. It is highly prob- 
able that improved mining machinery will soon be used in 
this district. Compressed cakes of English coal are im- 
ported at the rate of 122 a ton ! It is said that a valuable 
deposit of coal has lately been discovered in the vicinity. 
Excursions may easily be made from Pachuca to the ad- 
joining mining town of Real del Monte (elevation, 9,057 
feet), and to the town and cascade of Regla, and also to 
the village of El Chico, 

4. From Mexico to Cuernavaca. Distance, 47 miles by diligence. Fare, 
$4.50. Time, nine and a half hours. Stage-coaches run three times 
a week. 

Leaving Mexico, the road leads over a causeway, bor- 
dered with a row of poplars on either side, to the suburb 
of Tlalj)am, about seven miles distant. A horse-car track 
runs parallel with the road. Thence the route turns to the 
southeast, and lies over a sandy region as far as the end of 
the valley of Mexico. 

The lofty mountain of Ajusco is seen on the west, and 
the Lake of Xochimilco on the east. The diligence now 
begins to ascend the pass leading through the ridge which 
forms the southern boundary of the plateau of Anahuac, 
The roadway is smooth, and kept in good order as far as 
the summit, and the grade is moderate. As the stage-coach 
climbs the winding pass^ the tourist soon obtains a beauti- 
ful view of the valley of Mexico, whose surface is dotted 
with various extinct volcanoes, and the several lakes that 
have already been mentioned. Picturesque villages are 
scattered over the oval-shaped plain. 

Proceeding farther, the traveler enters a region cov- 



THE CITY OF MEXICO AND ENVIRONS. 199 

ered with thick grass, interspersed with pines and spruces, 
reminding him of a northern flora. Many pack-trains of 
burros, or donkeys, are seen on the road. They carry, prin- 
cipally, fruit and yegetables to the capital. The diligence 
stops for lunch at a hamlet on the ridge-line, where the road 
is level for about two miles. Soon the summit of the pass 
is reached, the spot being marked by a stone cross, which 
is said to have been erected by Cortes. This cross marks 
the northern boundary-line of the grant of Montezuma to 
the Conqueror. According to the measurement of an ane- 
roid barometer, the elevation of this point is 9,540 feet. 

The road now descends gradually. It is stony, and 
much rougher than the northern portion of the route. 
Fortunately for tourists, however, this highway is undergo- 
ing repairs, and is already the best and, perhaps, the oldest 
line of travel for diligences in the Republic. As the ob- 
server continues on his journey down-hill, he will see the 
distant city of Cuernavaca on the south. The city lies on 
a mesa, or natural terrace, beyond which is a broad valley 
running east and west. 

The coach soon reaches another hamlet, and the animals 
are changed for the last time. Five mules, instead of eight, 
are sufficient to draw the vehicle over the rapidly descend- 
ing grade, and in about an hour the tourist arrives at his 
destination. 

CUEEKAYACA. 

Population, 16,320. Elevation, 5,380 feet, according to Humboldt. 

Hotels. — Saji Pedro and Del Fenix, both on the plaza. 

Baths, one block north of the San Pedro. 

Places of Interest. — 1. Cortes's Palace. 2. The Parochial Church. 
3. The Church of Guadalupe. 4. The Borda Gardens. 5. Maximilian's 
villa at Acapancingo. 

Cuernavaca, the capital of the State of Morelos, was 
originally called Quauhnaliuac (i. e., near the beautiful 
hills), a term given to it by the Tlaliuicos, who were the 



200 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

founders of the city. It was conquered by tlie Spaniards 
in April, 1521. Both of the foreign usurpers, Cortes and 
Maximilian, made this place their favorite winter resort. 

Cortes's Palace is now used as a court-house, and has 
been rebuilt since the Independence of Mexico. The Bor- 
da Gardens, once yery beautiful, are in ruins. They are 
on the western edge of the town, and are worthy of a yisit. 
Maximilian's yilla is now used as a school-house. It is 
called El Colegio de Ninas. A handsome garden adjoins 
the yilla, but it is not in good condition. Cotton, coffee, 
bananas, and palms, besides flowers, grow here. The unfor- 
tunate emperor occupied this place from January to Octo- 
ber, in 1866. He is said to haye built the charming yilla 
at his own expense. The snow- clad mountains of Popo- 
catepetl and Iztaccihuatl are in full yiew, and lie about 
twenty-fiye miles to the eastward. 

The village of Acapa^icingo is situated about one mile 
and a half southeast of Ctiernavaca, There was once a 
good wagon-road thither, but now it is practicable only for 
horsemen and pedestrians. 

Much sugar-cane is grown in the neighborhood, and a 
crop may be reaped within twelve months after planting 
the cuttings. 

The tourist should yisit the temple or fortress of Xoclii- 
calcOf which is one of the most remarkable remains on 
Mexican soil. It lies eighteen miles from Cuernavacay on 
a rocky eminence, almost a league in circumference, which 
is cut into terraces faced with stone. The building on the 
summit is seventy-five by sixty-six feet in area. It is of 
hewn granite, and was constructed in the usual pyramidal- 
terraced form. A few years ago this temple was used as a 
sugar-refinery. 

An excursion may be taken from Cuernavaca to the 
famous cave of Cacaliuamilpa, which lies in a limestone re- 
gion, about forty miles south of the city. It can be reached 



TEE CITY OF MEXICO AITD ENVIRONS, 201 

by wagon or horseback. As no hotel accommodations are 
to be had, the tourist is advised to carry blankets and pro- 
visions for three days. The cave has not yet been fully ex- 
plored. 

A trip to Tasco (fifty-four miles distant) may also be 
made from Cuernavaca. The town contains silver-mines 
that were worked before the Conquest. It has also a beau- 
tiful parish church. The altitude of Tasco is 5,852 feet, 
according to Humboldt. 

6. From Mexico to Cuautla. 

This excursion may include the great volcano of Popo- 
catepetl. (The entire route is described in Section VIII.) 




Indian Hut in the Tierra Caliente. 



SECTION lY. 

The Mexican National Eailway (Gompania Constructora 
Nacional Mexicana). 

(For description of this railway, see Part First.) 

We will first sketch the western branch of this railway, 
from Mexico to Manzanillo, on the Pacific coast, and then 
give an account of the northern route, from Acambaro 
Junction to Laredo and Corpus Cliristi. The region adja- 
cent to the railroad, and connections b'y stage and horseback 
with stations along the line, will be described in detail. 

Boute I. 
FKOM THE CITY OF MEXICO TO MAHZAKILLO. 

1. Mexico to Toluca, 

2. Toluca to Maravatio. 

3. Maravatio to Morelia. 

4. Morelia to Pdtzcuaro and thence to Manzanillo. 

5. Pdtzcuaro via Ario to Jorullo. 

1. From Mexico to Toluca, 73 kilometres, or 45:| miles. Time, 3^ hours. 
Two passenger-trains daily. Take left-hand side of the train for view. 

Leaving the station of Colonia, the line j)asses over the 
fertile plain of Mexico. The castle of Chapultepec is seen 
on the left. The first station is Union de Taciiba (4*59 
kilometres) ; the next station is Union de Naucalpan (8 '62 
kilometres). Now the land begins to rise, and the grade 
soon becomes very heavy. Passing the hamlet of San Bar- 
tola (9*18 kilometres), we reach Rio Hondo (14*28 kilome- 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 203 

tres), where the elevation is 7,550 feet, or 203 feet aboye the 
capital. The track soon enters the foot-hills of the ridge 
forming the western boundary of the valley of Mexico. 

There are many cuts through the alluvial drift and 
clay. JSfopales, or cactus-trees, are very common in the 
vicinity of the line of the railroad. 

After passing Rio Hondo a heavy grade begins. The 
train crosses gulches, with roaring brooks at the bottom. 
On the northern side of the track, and near the station of 
San Bartolito (22-09 kilometres), traces of an ancient aque- 
duct are seen. We soon pass through a cut in granite rock, 
and then stop at the station of Dos Rios (27*15 kilometres). 

The road now enters a picturesque valley half a mile in 
breadth, where some maize is grown. The farms are di- 
vided by long hedges of the maguey, which appear to take 
the place of fences. The natives cover the roofs of their 
huts with heavy stones, to prevent the wind from blowing 
them away. The traveler will observe towers about ten 
feet high adjoining the houses. They are cribs for storing 
corn, and are called cincolotes. 

This region has a sparse population ; only a few huts of 
stone and straw are to be seen. The track skirts the sides 
of enormous ravines or 'barrancas. The next station is Via 
de Escape Tunnel (30 '46 kilometres). We can now look 
across the valley, where the track is much higher than our 
place of observation. After passing through the tunnel and 
winding round long curves, having in places a compen- 
sated grade of about four per cent, the tourist, on glancing 
back, will have a fine view of the distant valley of Mexico, 
with the stately capital and picturesque sierras beyond. 
The famous home of the Aztecs appears to be surrounded 
by lakes. The valley below the line of the railroad bears 
the name of San Lazar, and the hamlet on the hill bound- 
ing the south side of the canon is called San Franciscito. 
We next reach the station of Escape de San Martin (35*30 



204 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

kilometres). The pines, spruces, and other trees of a 
stunted character, remind the traveler that he has ascend- 
ed to a great eleyation. Leaving the valley and going 
through several cuts in the solid rock, the train arrives 
at Cima, or Summit (39*12 kilometres). This is the 
highest point of the railroad, and would be called the 
'^divide" by Americans. Its elevation is 9,974 feet above 
tide- water. It is the highest railway-station in Mexico. 
The brook on the south side of the track, which the tourist 
has just passed, is the Rio Hondo. It flows into the valley 
of Mexico ; while the little stream on the north side of the 
railroad is the south fork of the Rio Lsrma (one of the 
largest rivers of the Eepublic), which, after traversing the 
States of Mexico, Michoacan, and Guanajuato, emjDties into 
the Lake of Cliapala. 

The rock at Cima is a reddish trachyte, and is used to 
ballast the track. The road now crosses a flat, grassy 
plateau. The next station is Salazar (41 "29 kilometres). 
There is a bar as well as a lunch-room in the station. The 
scenery in the vicinity closely resembles that of the Eocky 
Mountains. The ]3ines and spruces attain a considerable 
height. The grade soon begins to descend, and the view 
henceforth is better on the right-hand side of the car. The 
train follows the course of the Rio Lerma, crosses the old 
stage-road, and arrives at the station Camino de Toluca 
(44*51 kilometres). The tourist may now see the majestic 
snow-clad mountain, the Nevado de Toluca, an extinct 
volcano, 15,156 feet high, and about twenty miles distant. 
The track crosses a bridge built over a ravine. An aque- 
duct is being constructed at the bottom, to carry the water 
of the Rio Lerma to the flour-mill at Jajalpa. Soon the 
station of Jajalpa (51*24 kilometres) is reached. Here the 
elevation is 8,872 feet. It is worthy of remark that one of 
the few steam flour-mills in the country is found at this 
town. Wood is brought from the neighboring hills for 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 205 

fuel. Fine wheat grows here, and the maguey is also cul- 
tivated. The track now winds round many long curves, 
and presently a grand view of the broad valley of Toluca is 
obtained. Looking out of the car-window, the observer 
may see the line of the road far below him. 

The next station is Camino de Ocoyoacac (55*40 kilo- 
metres). The train runs along the side of the mountains, 
and soon the town of Ocoyoacac is seen in the plain below. 
The streets are well laid out, and there is considerable stir 
on the plaza, but the church is by far the most conspicu- 
ous object, as it is i=i other Mexican and Spanish towns. 
We now arrive at tha station of Lerma (59*55 kilometres). 
The elevation of this place is 8,456 feet. The houses of 
Lerma are built of adobe, with tile roofs. Much maguey is 
grown in the vicinity. The pulque from the valley of To- 
luca is famous. The road runs over the plain for about 
eight miles, and the next station is Toluca, 73 kilometres 
from the capital. This place, with perhaps the exception 
of Ameca-meca, in the State of Mexico, is the city of the 
highest altitude in the Republic, being 8,653 feet above 
the sea-level. The Nevado de Toluca, an extinct volcano 
several miles to the south, is the most prominent feature 
in the landscape for many miles. This mountain is often 
cloud-capped. 

TOLUCA. 

Population, 11,500. 

Hotels. — Gran Sociedad, Espagnol, Hidalgo, and Bella Union. There 
are also several restaurants and cafes. 

Baths, in the Calle de Victoria. 

Teatro principal, behind the Hotel Gran Sociedad. 

Places op Interest. — 1. Carmen church and monastery. 2. Church of 
Vera Cruz. 3. Plaza de los Martiros, where a monument in white marble, 
about twelve feet high, has been erected to the great patriot Miguel Hidalgo 
y Costilla. 4. Palacio Municipal. 5. The Paseo. 

Toluca is a well-built and thriving town. The streets 
are clean and well drained. The tourist may obtain a 



206 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

correct idea of the topography of Toluca and environs by 
walking up the hill on the southwestern side of the city. 
It is not more than fifteen minutes' walk from the principal 
hotels. 

A pleasant excursion may be made to the Nevada de 
Toluca (15,156 feet high). This mountain is always snow- 
clad, but in winter it is covered with snow for about one 
third of the way down from the summit. There is a ranch 
on the ridge, just below the timber-line, where the traveler 
can pass the night. A very extensive view may be obtained 
from the top of the volcano. On a clear day the Pacific 
Ocean, one hundred and sixty miles distant, is visible ; and 
it is said that the Gulf of Mexico can even be seen with a 
powerful field-glass. Baron von Humboldt ascended the 
peak of Toluca on the 29th of September, 1803, and 
measured the height of the mountain by the barometer. 
He states that the highest point, the Pico del Fraile, is 
difficult of ascent, and the very top is scarcely ten feet 
wide.* Humboldt found the rock to be a combination of 
oligoclase and hornblende (diorite). Two entire days will 
be required to climb the Nevada de Toluca — i. e., from the 
city of Toluca and laclc. The traveler should take provis- 
ions, blankets, guides, and horses sufficient for the journey. 

2. From Toluca to Maravatio, 150 kilometres, or 93 miles. Time, 7 hours. 

Leaving Toluca, the road continues due west along the 
broad valley. Much wheat is grown in the vicinity. One 
farmer sold seventy-seven thousand dollars' worth last j^ear 
(1882). The next station is Del Rio (97 kilometres). The 
railway-station is in a freight-car on a siding. 

The line soon winds along the bank of the Rio Lerma, 
with bluffs of a clayey limestone on one side. We pass 
through the tunnel of Ixtlahuaca, and reach the station of 

* See Cosmos, vol. v, p. 376. 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 207 

the same name (111*50 kilometres). Here the eleyation is 
8,423 feet. The town lies about a mile north of the track. 
The traveler may see the bonndary-line of the States of 
Mexico and Michoacan near by. Stone monuments about 
three feet high are placed in the ground eyery thousand 
yards. One of them is very close to the railroad. Pres- 
ently the line crosses the Rio Lerma and continues through 
a fertile country. Good pastures for cattle abound here, 
and the tourist can see many fine haciendas from the car- 
window. The track has usually been laid some distance 
from the hamlets and villages. Hogs are raised in con- 
siderable numbers on the estates along the line of the To- 
luca and Maravatio division of the National Kail way, and 
yet no one has had the enterprise to put up hams for do- 
mestic use. The natives seem to prefer to import Ameri- 
can hams at 50 cents and those of Westphalia at 62|^ cents 
a pound. It is believed that hams could be sent from 
Toluca to the capital and sold at a handsome profit for 
20 cents a pound. This is only one out of many business 
chances that await the American or European settler in 
Mexico. 

Flor de Maria (133 '90 kilometres) is the next station. 
Here the conductor calls out in English, ^^Half an hour 
for dinner." The dining-room consists of a freight-car, 
and the kitchen is in an adjoining car on a siding. The 
tourist is agreeably surprised at finding an excellent dinner 
served in such a primitive eating-house. Six reales is the 
price charged. We soon come to the station of La Jor- 
dana (149*90 kilometres). The next station is El Oro 
(164 kilometers), where the elevation is 8,344 feet. There 
are mines containing gold and silver on the hill-side 
about four miles southwest of this place. A New York 
company owns them. A forty-stamp mill has been erected 
at great cost, owing to the machinery having been trans- 
ported, first over the Mexican Railway with its enormous 



208 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

rates, and then by wagon-road to El Oro. The ore is 
worked in the same manner as in California. The country 
rock is slate. The main shaft of the mines at El Oro is 
now full of water, and steam-pumps are about to be used 
to raise it. 

Gold-mines are found also at Tlalpujahua, nine miles 
from El Oro station. A stage-coach runs to them. These 
mines are among the oldest in Mexico, and were worked 
before the Conquest. It may be remarked that there is a 
great deal of undeyeloped mineral wealth in the State of 
Miclioacan. The well-known mining districts of Trojes, 
Chapatuato, Ozumatlan, and Sinda, can be reached in two 
days on horseback. The ores of gold and silver with a 
quartz gangue occur here. But, as the tourist will have 
difficulty in procuring horses and provisions at El Oro, the 
journey to these mining districts can be made more easily 
from Morelia, the capital of the State. 

Eeturning to the railroad, take the left-hand side of the 
train for the view after leaving El Oro. We now cross the 
State line again, as the track is built partly in the State of 
Mexico and partly in Miclioacan. The next station is Canon 
(167 '70 kilometres). Near by the tourist may see the ruins 
of a stone dam, where a supply of water was formerly 
stored for the benefit of cattle and sheep grazing in the 
vicinity. Soon the road-bed begins to descend rapidly and 
enters the Canon de los Zopilotes, or Turkey-Buzzard Canon. 
The creek of El Salto runs through the canon and forms a 
cascade, which is a grand sight in the rainy season. The 
track has been blasted out of the solid basalt rock, and is a 
skillful piece of engineering. The canon is about a mile 
long, and the observer on looking down may see a trail at 
the bottom running along the course of the roaring tor- 
rent. Trails are very common all over Mexico, as horse- 
back-riding has been the principal means of communica- 
tion up to the present day. Nearly every canon, valley. 



TEE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 209 

and plain can be traversed by a bridle-patli. The railroad 
soon makes a sbarp turn, and leaves the Canon de los Zopi- 
lotes. The grade is still very heavy. A fine view of the 
broad and fertile valley below presents itself to the eye, and 
the observer will soon notice a cliff about two hundred feet 
high, on the right-hand side of the track, called the Salto 
de Medina. The cliff was so named after Medina, the 
chief of a noted band of brigands. He had been pursued 
to the edge of the precipice, and, finding escape impossible, 
blinded his mule with a zarape, and, spurring his animal, 
jumped off the cliff to prevent the ofificers of the law from 
capturing him. The line now runs along the side of the 
broad valley, making several long curves, and reaches the 
station of Solis (176*50 kilometres). The country is cov- 
ered with basaltic rock, and tanks for watering live-stock 
are seen in places. Tepetongo is the next station (185*70 
kilometres), and has an elevation of 7,652 feet. The region 
is overgrown with nopal-tiQQ^ and the bush known as hui- 
sacM, resembling the mesquite. After passing the station 
of Pomoca (205*50 kilometres), we reach Maravatio (223*20 
kilometres). The elevation of this town is 6,612 feet, and 
the population is about 10,000. (Hotel, Diligencias.) The 
town lies in a broad, grassy plain, surrounded by ridges of 
mountains. There is nothing of special interest to the 
traveler here. Maravatio is eleven hours' journey from 
the City of Mexico. Another and shorter route from the 
capital to this town has been surveyed — i. e., the continu- 
ation of the division of El Salto, the line running north- 
ward from the capital, via Tlalnepantla, Guautitlan, and 
HueJiuetoca, to the station of El Salto, 67*29 kilometres 
from the capital. On November 1, 1883, only four kilo- 
metres of this line were constructed beyond El Salto. The 
Mexican Central Eailway also runs to El Salto, and the 
country adjoining the latter road will be described in Sec- 
tion V. 



210 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

8. From Maeavatio to Morelia, 155 kilometres, or 96 miles. 

The track from Maravatio to Acmnbaro was finished in 
February, 1883. The distance is 63 kilometres. The line 
of the railway is seyeral miles to the eastward of the old 
diligence-road. The stations are, Zirizicuaro (22 '34 kilo- 
metres), Taranddcuao (31*34 kilometres), /^^^^ Jbse (41*34 
kilometres), and Acambaro (63 kilometres). The region 
traversed by the route is not much cultivated, and there 
are only three hamlets along the line. Basaltic rock cov- 
ers the country, and there is but little vegetation besides 
the nopal, TiuisacM, mesquite, and piru trees. Much wheat 
and Indian corn could be produced here, but at present 
very little is grown. The train reaches Acmnbaro in about 
three hours. 

ACAMBAKO. • 

Elevation, 6,084 feet at the railroad-junction ; population, about 8,000. 
Hotel. — Nacional^ one block from the plaza. 

The town lies in a broad valley, and is destined to 
increase in population as soon as the two branches of the 
Mexican National Eailway are finished. One branch ex- 
tends northward to Celaya, via Salvatierra, a distance of 
42|- miles, and thence via San Luis Potosi and Monterey 
to the frontier ; the other runs to Morelia, 57 miles dis- 
tant, and thence to Pdtzcuaro and Manzanillo on the Pa- 
cific. The branch to Celaya was completed in July, 1883. 
If the tourist does not wish to travel farther westward, he 
can take the train to Celaya, which is on the line of the 
Mexican Central Railway, and return to the capital by 
the latter road, thus making a round trip from Mexico 
that will give him an excellent idea of the agricultural 
and mineral resources of the region traversed by the two 
principal American trunk lines. The division of the 
National Railway to Morelia was opened on September 12, 
1883. 



THE MEXICAN' NATIONAL RAILWAY. 211 

Leaving Acamharo, the road trends over the plain to 
the south, and then goes southwestward for several miles, 
when the joictnresque Lake of Cuitzeo is seen. The level 
of this lake is 6,021 feet, or 63 feet lower than Acamlaro, 
Lake Cuitzeo is about 18 miles long, and affords good fishing. 
There are several islets in the lake, and it is surrounded by 
low hills. The stations are Summit Siding (14 kilometres), 
Andocutin (31*50 kilometres), Huingo (38*50 kilometres), 
Querendaro (49 kilometres), Quirio (63 kilometres), Charo 
(74 kilometres). La Goleta (76 kilometres), Ata^paneo (80 
kilometres), and Morelia (92 kilometres). 

MOEELIA. 

Population, about 20,400. Elevation, 6,202 feet. 

Hotels. — Soledad and Diligencias. 

Baths. — Del Recreo^ and in the Hotel Soledad. 

The city lies in a basin. It is the capital of the State 
of Michoacan, is well built, and has clean streets. There 
is not much wealth in Morelia, but a large number of the 
inhabitants are well-to-do. At the present time a few build- 
ings are in course of erection, especially the College of San 
Jose, with an ornamental fagade. Many of the houses are 
built of a pinkish trachyte, which is brought from a quarry 
about a mile from the city. This stone, however, does not 
weather well, and, after exposure to the atmosphere for a 
few years, the buildings made of it appear to be quite old. 
Most of the dwelling-houses are of one story, while, on the 
main street and near the plaza, many of the shops are in 
buildings having two and sometimes three stories. 

Places of Interest. — 1. The Cathedral (well worth seeing). 2. The 
Palace. 3. The Paseo. 4. Several of the churches may be visited to ad- 
vantage, if the tourist is not pressed for time. 

The Cathedral occupies an entire block, and is built in 
the Spanish renaissance style. The wood-work of the choir 



212 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

(coro) is finely carved. Formerly tlie passage-way from the 
choir to the high altar was inclosed with a silver railing, 
but dnring the revolution the Liberals entered the edifice 
and confiscated the precious metal. The silver doors on the 
tabernacles of the side chapels still remain. The fonts are of 
Mexican onyx, brought from Puebla, three hundred miles 
distant. It is said that the Cathedral received upward of 
$4,000,000 from the owners of mines in the neighborhood 
(at Ozumatlan), between the years 1758 and 1858. The 
inhabitants of Morelia worship the outside as well as the 
inside of the Cathedral, and it is customary for men to re- 
move their hats while passing it. The stranger renders 
himself liable to insult if he fails to observe this usage. A 
Mexican peasant will often kneel in 23assing this holy of 
holies. In Morelia, as in some other cities, the people gen- 
erally bow to the priest, or padre, whether they know him 
or not. When the priest wishes to administer the last rites 
of the Church to a person in articulo mortis, he repairs to 
the house in a close carriage, drawn by two white mules. It 
is usual to kneel in the streets while this carriage is passing, 
and the tourist will give great offense to the by-standers if 
he does not conform to this practice. Before the overthrow 
of the clerical party, the host was borne through the streets 
by a sort of procession, arranged as follows : First, a man 
with a bell ; then the coach containing the sacrament, or es- 
tufa ; then six attendants on each side of it, carrying large 
lanterns or torches ; and three soldiers in the rear. 

Protestants have often been mobbed or arrested, and in a 
few cases killed, for refusing to kneel on the approach of the 
host. The late Bishop Haven relates that, in the year 1824, 
in the City of Mexico, an American shoemaker was at work 
on his bench, near the doorway, on the first floor of a house. 
Presently the bell announced the coming of the priest bear- 
ing the host. A Mexican stepped into this doorway, and, 
kneeling on the floor, turned to see if the shoemaker was 



TEE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY, 213 

following his example. The cobbler had dropped his tools, 
and was kneeling on the tojo of his 'bench, when the zealous 
Catholic requested that he should get down and kneel on 
the floor. The American refused to do so, whereupon the 
Mexican drew his knife and inflicted a mortal wound on 
him. The news spread rapidly through the city, and it 
was only at the risk of the life of an American clergyman 
living in the capital that the murdered man received a 
Christian burial. Travelers should remember that Morelia 
has always been a stronghold of the priesthood, and that, 
although the power of the Church is gone in most of the 
States, it still holds its own in Miclioacan. 

The Palace next demands our attention. It is a well- 
built and commodious edifice of two stories, and contains 
the offices of the State Government and the custom-house. 
The governmental printing-office is also in the Palace. A 
large room on the second story contains the State Library, 
which is composed of many rare and old volumes, taken 
from the convents and monasteries during revolutions. 
Some of the books are written on the canon law in Latin, 
and bound in the most costly style. The front part of 
the second story of this building consists of the Gov- 
ernor's office, and the reception-room, or Sola de Reunion, 
The latter apartment is furnished with ornamental black- 
walnufc sofas and chairs, covered with silk, and which were 
made in Morelia, 

In the Hall of Congress, or Sola del Congreso, on the 
first floor of the Palace, there is a statue of Hidalgo, the 
Mexican "Washington, and a portrait of the liberator, 
Ocampo, speaking in the national palace at the capital. 
Ocampo was one of the leaders of the anti-clerical party, 
and rendered such gallant service to the State of Miclioacan 
during the revolution that the inhabitants named the State 
after him, so that its full name is Miclioacan de Ocampo. 

After the tourist has visited the principal buildings, a 



214 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

walk to the Paseo will be found interesting. Large ash- 
trees (fresnos) grow here, and the gardens are well laid out 
and planted with flowers. We may add that there are fine 
cedars and cypress-trees in the yard of the Carmen Church, 
on the north side of the city. 

The traveler may rest a few days in Morelia to advan- 
tage. The time may be passed in visiting the other build- 
ings not already mentioned — such as the municipal palace ; 
the cemetery, or campo santo, inclosed with high adobe 
walls ; the smaller churches and vacant convents ; the cot- 
ton-factory ; or some of the colleges and schools. 

The climate of Morelia is salubrious. The water is, 
however, muddy, and must be passed through large stone 
filters before it can be used. 

Morelia was founded on the 23d of April, 1541, by 
provision of the viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza. During 
the Spanish domination it received the name of Vallado- 
lid, in honor of the Viceroy Mendoza, whose birthplace in 
Spain bore that name. In 1828 the Legislature of Miclio- 
acan enacted that the city should be called Morelia, in 
memory of Jose Maria Morelos, a hero of the War of Inde- 
pendence, who was born in this place. 

Many excursions can be made from Morelia, especially 
to the mining districts lying to the east and southeast. 
Chapatuato is sixty miles by trail. Gold is found in a fis- 
sure-vein, associated with galena, pyrites, and antimonial 
ores. The country rock is slate. Ozumatlan is thirty 
miles distant. Here gold occurs in trachyte. Sinda lies 
at about the same distance from Morelia, and its miner- 
als are similar to those just mentioned. In the autumn 
of 1880 a company was formed in New York to develop 
these mining regions. It was known as the Michoacan 
Syndicate. Mining engineers were sent to Mexico from 
New York, and a favorable report was published, from 
which the above particulars are taken. Labor is abundant 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 215 

here, at prices ranging from three to four reales a day. It 
is believed that the completion of the railroad to Morelia 
will be of great benefit to these mines, which are now 
owned largely by residents of this city, who have not 
sufficient capital to work them, and are willing to sell 
at a fair valuation. It may be remarked that Michoacan 
still contains an immense amount of undeveloped mineral 
wealth. Besides gold and silver, copper and iron are abun- 
dant. 

An excursion may also be taken to Zintzuntzmi, about 
twenty miles distant. This town was the seat of the court 
of the ancient kings of Miclioacan ; it had a population of 
40,000. To-day its edifices are destroyed, its streets de- 
serted, and its few inhabitants are extremely ignorant. In 
the environs many mounds exist that are said to conceal 
the ancient palaces of the kings of Miclioacan. There are 
also many buildings in which precious antiquities would be 
found if these hills should be excavated and examined. A 
great deal of pottery is now made here. 

The cities of Zamora, La Barca, and La Piedacl, and 
the brown-coal deposits of Xiquilpan, may be reached from 
Morelia by horse-roads. In closing the chapter on Morelia, 
it may be said that, at present, but two foreign corporations 
are carrying on mining and smelting operations in the 
vicinity — one English and one American. The State G-ov- 
ernment is trying to increase the cultivation of the silk- 
worm and of cotton, and it is hardly necessary to add that 
Michoacan affords excellent opportunities for investment 
to foreigners having some capital. 

4. From Morelia to Patzcuaro, and thence to Manzanillo. 

There are two lines of diligences from Morelia to Pdtz- 
cuarOy running three times a week. The fare is 12 for each 
passenger. The distance is forty miles, and the trip re- 
quires eight hours. The scenery along the route is pictur- 



216 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

esque ; but, unfortunately, the road is one of the very 
roughest in Mexico. A part of it is paved with basaltic 
bowlders, on account of the frequent rains in the neighbor- 
hood. Leaving Morelia, the diligence travels up-hill for 
about ten miles, until the summit of a low divide is reached. 
Then the road descends to a small village, where the mules 
are changed. Proceeding farther, the tourist enters a val- 
ley, with lofty and densely timbered ridges, or sierras, on 
either side. A few extinct volcanoes are seen, and the pre- 
vailing rock is blue amygdaloidal basalt. The worst part 
of the road has now been passed, and soon the stage-coach 
stops, to change animals for the last time. There is very 
little vegetation along this route. Traveling over an as- 
cending grade for several miles, the observer obtains a view 
of the eastern end of the beautiful Lake of Pdtzcuaro. In 
half an hour the driver halts in front of the Hotel Dili- 
gencias, 

PATZCUAEO. 
Population, about 8,000. 

Elevation, 6,717 feet, according to the surveys of the 
Mexican National Eailway engineers. We may state that 
the line of this railroad has been graded to within a few 
rods of the town ; but the officers of the company have as 
yet made no announcement of the time when this branch 
of the road will be completed. Alexander von Humboldt 
visited this region in 1803, and computed the elevation of 
this town to be about 500 feet higher than that above given, 
according to barometric measurement. The word '^ Pdtz- 
cuaro " means a 7;/«6'e of pleasure in the Indian language. 
The houses are mostly of one story. The streets are nar- 
row and winding, but the plazas are ample, and often filled 
with fruit-venders. This city was formerly a resort of the 
ancient kings of Miclioacan, and after the Conquest it be- 
came the capital of the province. 

There is a large Indian population here, who speak the 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 217 

Tarasc dialect, especially on the lake, which is two and a 
half miles from the town. 

The picturesque Lake of Pdtzcuaro is about thirty miles 
in circumference. Its shape is irregular, the greatest length 
being about thirteen miles from northeast to southwest. 
There are five small islands in the lake, bearing the names of 
Xaniclio, Pacanda^ Xaracuaro, Yuguan, and Tecuen. The 
first one is inhabited. The yiew from the hills near the 
town, of the lake surrounded by densely timbered mount- 
ains, and with the surface dotted by islets, and the white 
houses on the side of XanicJio, is beautiful beyond descrip- 
tion. It reminds the traveler of the famous Lago Mag- 
giore. Among other writers who have remarked upon the 
beauty of the landscape are Madame Calderon de la Barca 
and Baron von Humboldt. A recent English author of a 
book on Mexico states, that the former has published to the 
world the most entertaining work ever written on the land 
of the Aztecs. 

The Indians living on the Lake of Pdtzcuaro very closely 
resemble the Pueblos of New Mexico and Arizona. The 
tourist can visit the islands in one of their " dug-out " pine 
canoes (canoas). Paddles with circular blades are used in 
the canoes by both women and men. 

Perhaps no spot in the country deserves the name of 
*' primitive Mexico" better than Lake Pdtzcuaro. 

Several excursions may be made from Pdtzcuaro. The 
most convenient one is to Uruapan, forty-seven miles by 
trail to the southwest. There are two small hotels and 
a cotton-factory in Uruapan. The cotton is of excellent 
quality, and is brought from the west {Acapulco) coast by 
pack-mules. Much pottery is made here, and the town 
lies in the midst of a coffee and sugar growing district. 
The coffee of Michoacan is generally considered to be the 
best in Mexico, with the single exception of that from Co- 
lima. An arrola of coffee (25 pounds) costs 13 at Urua- 

10 



218 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

pan, and at Pdtzcuaro it is worth 30 reales. These figures 
will give the traveler an idea of the great expense of trans- 
portation by mule-back ; i. e,, the price for carrying coffee 
in sacks forty-seven miles is at the rate of three cents a 
pound ! There is a cascade near the town worthy of a visit. 

Besides sugar-cane and coffee, Peruvian bark {quina) 
and many medicinal plants, as well as an infinite variety 
of fruits, are grown in the environs of Uruapan. Twenty 
thousand barrels of native rum (aguardiente) are made an- 
nually in the district of Uruapan, The word "Uruapan" 
comes from Urani, which means in the Tarasc language "a 
chocolate-cup " (jicara), because the Indians in this region 
devote themselves to the manufacture and painting of these 
objects, in which industry they have thus far excelled. 

The line of railroad from Pdtzcuaro via Uruapan to 
CoUma has been surveyed, but it will doubtless be many 
years before it is completed. 

The tourist can visit Tancitaro, 40 miles from Urua- 
pan, and, if he wishes, travel all the way to the Pacific 
coast. It will be advisable to purchase a horse if the trav- 
eler intends going beyond TJruapan. A good animal can 
be bought for about $40, and one able to accomplish the 
trip to Colima could be had for $25. The climate of Tan- 
citaro is cool, the town being situated at the base of a peak 
of the same name, having an altitude of 11,037 feet. There 
are many gardens of pears, peaches, and apples in the vicin- 
ity. A horse-road leads from Tancitaro to Colima, a dis- 
tance of about 100 miles. The latter place is celebrated 
for producing the finest coffee in the Eepublic. It is pro- 
nounced to be equal to the best Mocha. The berry is of 
small size. The State of CoUma yields annually about 
1,980,000 pounds of coffee, valued at $225,000. Some of 
it is exported to Germany. Cotton, rice, sugar-cane, and 
indigo are also cultivated in this State. 

The city of Colima, situated on the river of the same 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 



219 



name, has a population of 32,000 souls, which is equal to half 
the number of inhabitants of the entire State. There are 
some French, German, and English settlers. The Yolcano^ 
of Colima, 11,140 feet high, lies near the city. It is snow- 
clad in winter, but the summer sun melts the white cover- 
ing. This peak is conspicuously seen far out to sea, being 
only 25 miles from the coast. A wagon-road goes from 
Colima to Manzanillo, about 70 miles distant. The latter 




The City of Colima. 

town is the terminus of the western branch of the Mexican 
National Eailway. The distance from the national capital 
is 615 miles. The Pacific Mail steamers touch at Manza- 
nillo once a month. Manzanillo is 1,685 miles from Ban 
Francisco, Oal., and 1,742 miles from Panama, 

It may be remarked that the Hon. William H. Seward 
landed at Manzanillo in 1869, and traveled into the interior 
via Colima and Guadalajara. He received a most enthu- 
siastic reception. 



220 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

The usual plan of building railways in Mexico, i. e., 
to begin at both ends, and work toward an intermediate 
point, has been adopted by the Mexican National Eailway 
Company, and on October 1, 1883, about thirty miles of 
track had been laid from Manzanillo to Colima. The dis- 
tance between the two towns via Armeria is 60 miles hy 
rail. 

Leaving Colima, the Mexican National line makes a 
great bend to the northeast, curves around the northern 
side of Lahe Chapala, and then runs southeasterly to More- 
lia via Zamora. 

The railroad from Manza7iillo to Morelia will be about 
380 miles long. (See chapter on railways in Part First.) 

The climate of Manzanillo is unhealthy for Europeans, 
and the tourist is advised not to linger long in the vicinity. 

5. From Patzcijaro via Ario to Jorullo ; * distance, 55 miles by horse-road. 

This is a rough trip, owing to the absence of wagon- 
roads and hotels along the route. It has charms, however, 
especially to the geologist and lover of natural scenery ; and 
the traveler will be amply repaid for the four or five days 
of comparative hardship necessary for the journey. 

Tourists should hire saddle-horses in Pdtzcuaro. If there 
are two or three in the party, it will be expedient to take a 
man-servant or mozo. Three horses and a mozo can be ob- 
tained at the rate of $4 daily, and the price of stabling. 
The cost of feeding each horse will be about one real a 
day. If the traveler wislies to go alone, and is able to talk 
in Spanish, a mozo will be unnecessary, although useful. 

Leaving the quaint town of Pdtzcuaro, the road as- 
cends for about two miles, when a densely- wooded plateau 
is reached. This route, formerly practicable for wagons, 
is well paved with stone on the heavy grades, and passes 

* Pronounced hoar-rool-yo. 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY, 



221 



througli a region where considerable wheat, maize, and bar- 
ley are cultivated. On reaching the top of the hill, the 
observer may obtain a magnificent view of the Lake of Pdtz- 
cuaro, with the vast rolling country beyond. The hamlet 
of Santa Clara is soon reached. There are copper-smelt- 
ing works here, charcoal being used for fuel. The ore is 
brought in leathern sacks on mule-back from Churumuco 




Manzanillo Bay. 

and Inguaran, about 65 miles distant. It is worth from 
$10 to $20 per carga (300 pounds). Proceeding farther, 
the traveler will traverse a well-timbered district. Stately 
ash-trees line the streets of one of the villages, and the for- 
ests in the neighborhood contain fine spruces and pines. 
A French settler is about to erect a steam saw-mill here. 
A great deal of freight is. carried along this route. One 



222 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

meets many pack-trains of mules coming chiefly from 
Aca/pulco, which is 290 miles from Pdtzcuaro. A train is 
usually composed of forty mules with five men who act as 
]3ackers, or car g adores. A day's journey is sixteen miles. 
Mules are worth from 135 to 140 in this part of Mexico, 
and an aparejOy or leathern pack-saddle, costs 15. 

The men who accompany the pack-trains usually ride 
horses, and are armed with the largest size of reyolvers. 
Most of the freight goes northward. It consists largely of 
the cotton that grows in the State of Guerrero, and which 
is put up in bales of about 150 pounds each. A good mule 
will carry two bales all day. 

Kegs of brandy, boxes of wine, small wares, and, of 
course, provisions and cooking utensils for the packers, are 
also carried by the mule-trains. On the return trip toward 
the Pacific coast, many of the animals go without a load, 
so that the tourist can secure transportation for himself 
and baggage if desirous of going to Acapulco. 

As the traveler approaches Ario, a beautiful view is 
presented from a point about two miles from the town. 
The ^' Coast Eange," or the southern part of the Sierra 
Madre, is visible, together with the broad plain at the base, 
the surface of which is dotted with numerous hillocks or 
cerrillos. The undulating contour of the table-land, which 
has just been crossed, can be traced for miles. The most 
prominent object in the landscape, however, is the lofty 
mountain to the southward, known as ^'La Estancia de los 
Padres,^^ or the fathers' mansion. This picturesque hill is 
formed of two dome-shaped masses of rock rising from a 
common base. The slopes are very steep, and the summit 
appears to be inaccessible from the northern side. Hum- 
boldt sketched this mountain while in Miclioacan, and a 
picture of it may be found in his collection of views of 
Mexico. The observer can also see substantially the same 
landscape from the Alameda, just outside of Ario, and 



TEE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 



223 



about fifteen minutes' walk from the plaza. It is best to 
go to the Alameda in the afternoon, just as the sun sinks 
behind the lofty Sierra Madre. The j^lain with its wayy 
surface appears like an inland sea, while the scattered hil- 
locks, resemble islets. 

The road now enters Ario. The population amounts 
to 3,000, and the altitude is 6,358 feet, according to Hum- 




A Pack-train. 

boldt, or 866 feet lower than Pdtzcuaro, which is 31 miles 
distant. There are no hotels, but the town can boast of 
four mesones, that furnish accommodation for travelers and 
cattle or sheep. 

The Meson de Ocampo is the best, although to assure a 
good night's rest the tourist should sprinkle flea-powder 



224 CITIES ARD ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

over tlie sheets of his bed. The principal restaurant is 
the Fonda de la Bella Union, about half a block east of the 
plaza. The inhabitants of the town are yery polite to 
strangers. Travelers should, if possible, procure letters of 
recommendation to residents in the neighboring villages 
which they intend to visit. The prefect of police will 
send an escort of soldiers to Jorullo, or any other place in 
his district, if asked. The expense of the escort will be 
nothing, but a small gratuity should be given to the ser- 
geant in command. The environs of, Ario are very fertile, 
and many excellent farms that produce rice, sugar-cane, 
pepper, fruit, etc., may be easily visited. Fine horses and 
cattle are also reared. The climate of Ario is temperate 
and very healthful. The town is, however, a sort of 
^*^ jumping-off " place. The land on the south and south- 
west of Ario descends rapidly, and a few hours' journey 
brings one into the ^^hot country." 

A Mexican writer has named it ^Hhe mouth of the 
tierra caliente.^' The inhabitants feel the want of a wagon- 
road that would facilitate transportation of the valuable 
staple products to the State of Guerrero or to some of the 
ports on the Pacific. 

Excursions may be taken to Tacamharo, 20 miles to the 
eastward, or to Uruapan on the west. The former town 
produces much sugar and rum. The latter place has been 
described on page 217. 

Leaving Ario, the road leads to La Play a, at the base 
of the famous volcano of Jorullo, about 24 miles distant. 
We notice several haciendas, and some groves of pine and 
oak along the route. The country is gently rolling for sev- 
eral leagues. After traversing a forest, tlie path becomes 
narrow and uneven. Suddenly it descends rapidly over 
rocky ground to a small hacienda. 

The road is paved with cobble-stones for some dis- 
tance, and the hamlet of Tejamanil is soon reached. The 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL BAIL WAY. 225 

tourist is now in the tierra caliente. The houses in the 
village are made of cane-stalks and thatched chiefly with 
palm-leaves ; but the principal building is of two stories, 
and built of adohe, with a roof of red tiles. There is a 
store in the latter, and a fondita adjoining. The accom- 
modations here are primitive, but it is the best place for 
the traveler to stop at, unless he has letters to the govern- 
mental inspector of police, who lives at La Playa, three 
miles farther on. 

There are fields of sugar-cane near by. Bananas and 
the indigo-plant also grow here. The main occupation of 
the natives is to collect palm-leaves from the adjoining 
hacienda, and cut them up in strips, taking the thin fibers 
for brooms, brushes, etc. The long strips of palm are 
folded over and packed together with tight cords. They 
are made into bundles about five feet long and a foot 
and a half in diameter, and carried to Ario on the backs 
of men and donkeys. It should be said that there are 
many porters in this section of the country. They trans- 
port mostly pottery and dressed palm-leaves, and travel 
about twenty miles daily with a load in this warm climate. 
The author saw a porter without a load walk thirty-one 
miles in seven and a half hours. He kept up with the 
writer's horse for the greater part of the distance. There 
is a native sugar-mill near Tejamanil, where the cane is put 
in a sort of hopper, and then passed through wooden roll- 
ers. The power is furnished by a yoke of oxen attached 
to a long shaft as in a horse-whim. 

The road descends all the way to the hamlet of Puerta 
de la Playa, containing about a dozen huts, besides the 
house and store of the inspector of police, Don Francisco 
de Vega. Indigo {anil) grows in the river-bottom behind 
Sen or Vega's residence. It is a wild bush about four feet 
high, and has a thin bark. The leaf resembles a fern. 
The Indians prepare it for the market by pounding the 



226 CITIES AYD ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

seeds with a huge wooden hammer and extracting the juice. 
The climate of La Playa is dry and very hot. The ther- 
mometer in the winter season reaches 90° Fahr. at midday. 
It is much warmer in summer. The soil consists of dark 
Yolcanic sand, and it is called mal pais — i. e., bad country. 
The region abounds with dangerous insects, such as scor- 
pions, spiders, etc. A few rattlesnakes are found here. 
The traveler is adyised to shake out his boots in the morn- 
ing, as insects and reptiles are apt to crawl into them dur- 
ing the night. Should he sleep in a Mexican hut, it will 
be expedient to keep on all clothing (including boots), on 
account of the yermin. 

During the French inyasion a battalion of soldiers, 
numbering about fiye hundred, marched down to this cor- 
ner of the Republic. After camping in the plain for a few 
days they returned to Aiio, fully satisfied that the natives 
had been impressed with the importance of these Gallic 
visitors. 

The ultimate destination of the tourist, the well-known 
volcano of Jorullo, will now be described. 

The trail up the mountain leaves the Acapidco road at 
La Playa. 

The base of the cone of the volcano is about three miles 
distant. Whether the traveler passes the night at Tejamanilf 
or at Senor Vega's residence, he should set out before day- 
light (say 4 A. M.), in order to reach the summit and return 
before the sun becomes too hot. One hour will be requisite 
to go from Tejamanil to La Playa in the dark. Leaving 
the main road, the path traverses a barren sandy plateau 
covered with bowlders of black scoriaceous basalt. Pres- 
ently the grade ascends, and we pass through underbrush 
and groves of the huisacM and tepejuaje trees. Horses 
can be ridden to within half a mile of the crater. A Mexi- 
can peasant may be hired to act as guide for the sum of one 
dollar. He will take care of the tourist's horse, if no mozo 



TEE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 227 

accompanies him, and point out the way to the summit, 
which can readily be ascended alone. About two hours 
will be necessary to arrive at the crater from the Puerta de 
la Playa. The scientific tourist will want to spend as much 
time on the volcano. A thermometer should be taken along 
to measure the temperature of the hot gases escaping from 
the fumaroles. 

The general direction of the mountain-mass of Jorullo 
is north and south. The volcano is pear-shaped, the outlet 
of the crater being on the north side. The cone is covered 
with loose black ashes in which a few bushes grow, and its 
slope on the north and west sides is about forty-five degrees. 

The crater is about a mile in circumference, and the 
diameter from north to south is estimated at 500 yards, the 
distance from east to west being a little less. The highest 
point is on the east side. According to Baron von Hum- 
boldt's measurements, the summit of this volcano is 4,267 
feet above the level of the sea, or 1,683 feet above the 
'^ Play as de Jorullo/' which is probably the same place that 
now bears the name of Puerta de la Playa, often called 
simply La Playa. 

Many clefts and fumaroles are found in the edge of the 
crater. The writer took the temperatures of some of them 
as follows : aqueous vapor escaping from the west side was 
found to be 132° Fahr., and sulphurous-acid gas in a fuma- 
role at the mouth of the crater had a mean temperature of 
130° Fahr., the column of mercury rising and falling a few 
degrees while the thermometer was exposed to the hot 
vapor. The traveler can make the circuit of the crater 
without difiiculty. 

Grass about four feet high, a few ferns, and tepejuaje 
and cTiangungo (native trees), grow on the border. Deer 
are abundant on the mountain. There is an immense 
stream of lava on the north side, having a dark-red color, 
owing to the oxidation of the iron in the rock. It is com- 



228 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

posed of scoriaceous basalt, and looks like the slag of a 
furnace. 

The rocks of Jorullo, however, are neither uniform in 
texture nor composition. They vary in color from black 
and red to gray and grayish white. Bluish basalt containing 
olivine occurs near the bottom of the crater, and whitish- 
gray trachyte forms the greater part of it. The latter rock 
is traversed with a few small veins of sulphur. 

The tourist may descend to the bottom of the mouth of 
the volcano, which is about 500 feet below the summit. 
The walls slant rapidly and are covered with an enormous 
mass of talus, containing many angular fragments of red 
and black rocks. Shocks of earthquake ^re often felt in 
the environs of Jorullo, extending sometimes as far as Mo- 
relia, 60 miles distant. 

A recent earthquake (in March, 1883) was perceptible at 
Aria for the space of two minutes, and cracks were formed 
in the ground at a point ten miles off. 

Although no eruption has taken place for upward of a 
hundred years, this volcano is still in a semi-active state, 
as shown by the heat of the crater-walls, the emission of 
sulphurous gas and aqueous vapor, and the frequency of 
earthquakes. Another stream of lava might flow out of 
Jorullo at any time. 

The view from the summit next demands attention. It 
is very extensive. The eye follows the contour of the 
Sierra Madre to the westward for more than 100 miles, 
until the lofty volcano of Colima, capped with snow, bounds 
the horizon. The picturesque mountain. La Estancia de 
los Padres, is very conspicuous, and also the grassy plain 
in front of it, having a breadth of forty-five miles. On the 
south the country is much broken in outline, and to the 
eastward the observer may trace the undulating surface of 
the table-land. Looking northerly, one sees the sugar-cane 
fields and banana-groves near Tejama7iil, whose bright verd- 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 229 

ure forms a pleasant contrast to the greater part of the 
desert landscape. The tourist may also have an excellent 
view of the palm-tree hacienda in the valley, which yields 
an income of about $10,000 a year. It is the largest in 
Miclioacan. 

The descent from the cone of Jorullo is easy, and the 
Puerta de la Playa can be reached in about an hour, the 
path being mostly down-grade. The appearance of Jorullo 
from the valley is worthy of mention. If the observer 
has time to geologize, let him speculate upon the original 
size of the plain before the eruption of 1759. This volcano 
is the culminating point of a narrow ridge about six miles 
long, and running due north and south. There are other 
hills of igneous rock on the eastern and northeastern bor- 
ders of the plain. The valley of La Playa is now about a 
mile wide and six miles long. A rough estimate would 
make the breadth of it about eight miles before the eleva- 
tion of Jorullo. 

Alexander von Humboldt explored this region in 1803, 
and wrote a lengthy accoiint of the great volcano in his 
journal. It is also described both in the Essai Politique 
sur la Nouvelle Espagne and in the Cosmos. The follow- 
ing extracts are taken from Otte and Dallas's translation of 
the Cosmos, vol. v, pages 291-300 : 

"In the series of Mexican volcanoes, . . . the most celebrated phe- 
nomenon is the elevation of the newly-produced Jorullo, and its effusion of 
lava. . . . The eruption in a broad and long-peaceful plain, in the former 
province of Michoacan, in the night from the 28th to the 29th of Septem- 
ber, 1759, at a distance of more than 120 miles from any other volcano, was 
preceded for fully three months, namely, from the 29th of June in the same 
year, by an uninterrupted and subterranean noise. . . . 

" The eruption of the new volcano, about three o'clock in the morning, 
was foretold the day before by a phenomenon which, in other eruptions, 
does not indicate their commencement, but their conclusion. At the point 
where the great volcano now stands there was formerly a thick wood of the 
Guayava. . . . 



230 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

" Laborers from the sugar-cane fields (canaverales) of the Hacienda do 
San Pedro Jorullo . . . had gone out to collect the fruit of the guayava. 
When they returned to the farm [hacieyida) it was remarked with astonish- 
ment that their large straw hats were covered with volcanic ashes. Fis- 
sures had consequently already opened in what is now called the Malpais, 
probably at the foot of the high basaltic dome El Cuiche, which threw out 
ashes {lapilli) before any change appears to have occurred in the plain. . . . 

" In the first hours of the night, the black ashes already lay a foot 
deep ; every one fled toward the hill of Aguasarco, a small Indian village, 
situated 2,409 feet higher than the old plain of Jorullo. 

" From this height (so runs the tradition) a large tract of land was seen 
in a state of fearful fiery eruption, and, ' in the midst of the flames (as those 
who witnessed the ascent of the mountain expressed themselves), there ap- 
peared, like a black castle {castillo negro)^ a great shapeless mass (hulto 
grande).'' 

" From the small population of the district (the cultivation of indigo 
and cotton was then but very little carried on), even the force of long- 
continued earthquakes cost no human lives, although, as I learn from manu- 
script record, houses were overturned by them near the copper-mines of 
Inguaran, in the small town of Patzcuaro, in Santiago de Ario, and many 
miles farther, but not beyond San Pedro Churumucu. In the Hacienda de 
Jorullo, during the general nocturnal flight, they forgot to remove a deaf 
and dumb negro slave. A mulatto had the humanity to return and save 
him, while the house was still standing. It is still related that he was 
found kneeling, with a consecrated taper in his hand, before the picture 
of Nuestra Sefiora de Guadalupe. 

" According to the tradition, widely and concordantly spread among the 
natives, the eruption during the first days consisted of great masses of rock, 
scoriae, sand, and ashes, but always combined with an effusion of muddy 
water. In the memorable report already mentioned, of the 19th of Octo- 
ber, 1759, the author of which was a man who, possessing an accurate 
knowledge of the locality, describes what had only just taken place, it is 
expressly said : ' Que espele el dicho. Volcan arena, ceniza y agua? 

" All eye-witnesses relate . . . that, before the terrible mountain made 
its appearance, . . . the earthquakes and subterranean noises became more 
frequent ; but, on the day of the eruption itself, the flat soil was seen to rise 
perpendicularly, . . . and the whole became more or less inflated, so that 
blisters (vcxigoncs) appeared, of which the largest is now the volcano. . . . 

" These inflated blisters of very various sizes, and partly of a tolerably 
regular conical form, subsequently burst . . . and threw boiling-hot earthy 
mud from their orifices, ... as well as scoriaceous stony masses, . . . 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 231 

which are still found, at an immense distance, covered with black, stony 
masses. - 

*' These historical records, which we might, indeed, wish to see more 
complete, agree perfectly with what I learn from the mouths of the natives, 
fourteen years after the ascent of Antonio de Riano.* To the questions 
whether ' the castle mountain ' was seen to rise gradually for months or 
years, or whether it appeared from the very first as an elevated peak, no 
answer could be obtained. 

" According to the tradition, the phenomena of small eruptions of water 
and mud, which were observed during the first days simultaneously with 
the incandescent scoriae, are ascribed to the destruction of two brooks, 
which, springing on the western declivity of the mountain of Santa Ines, 
and consequently to the east of the Cerro de Cuiche^ abundantly irrigated 
the cane-fields of the former Hacienda de San Pedro de Jorullo, and flowed 
onward far to the west to the Hacienda de la Presentacion. Near their 
origin, the point is still shown where they disappeared in a fissure, with their 
formerly cold waters, during the elevation of the eastern border of the 
Malpais. Running below the hornitos, they reappear, according to the 
general opinion of the people of the country, heated in two thermal 
springs. . . . 

" In order to acquire a clear notion of the complicated outline and gen- 
eral form of the surface of the ground in which such remarkable upheavals 
have taken place, we must distinguish hypsometrically and morphologically : 

" 1. The position of the volcanic system of Jorullo in relation to the 
average level of the Mexican plateau. 2. The convexity of the Malpais, 
which is covered with thousands of horniios. 3. The fissure upon which 
six large volcanic mountain-masses have arisen. 

" On the western portion of the central Cordillera of Mexico, which strikes 
from south-southeast to north-northwest, the plain of the Playas de Jo- 
rullo, at an elevation of only 2,557 feet above the level of the Pacific, 
forms one of the horizontal mountain terraces which everywhere in the Cor- 
dilleras interrupt the line of inclination of the declivity, and consequently 
more or less impede the decrease of heat in the superposed strata of the 
atmosphere. 

" On descending from the central plateau of Mexico (whose mean eleva- 
tion is 7,460 feet) to the corn-fields of Valladolid de Michoacan, to the 
charming Lake of P^tzcuaro with the inhabited islet Janicho, and into the 
meadows around Santiago de Ario, which Bonpland and I found adorned 
with the dahlias, which have since become so well known, we have not de- 
scended more than nine hundred or a thousand feet. 

* In 1803. 



232 



CITIES AIs'^I) ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 



" But in passing from Ario on the steep declivity over Aguasarco, into 
the level of the old plain of JoruUo, we diminish the absolute elevation in 
this short distance by from 3,850 to 4,250 feet. The roundish convex part 
of the upheaved plain is about 12, '790 feet in diameter, so that its area is 
more than seven square miles. The true volcano of JoruUo and the five 
other mountains which rose simultaneously with it wpon the same fissure, 
are so situated that only a small portion of the Malpais lies to the east of 
them. 

" Toward the west, therefore, the number of Jiornitos is much larger ; and 
when, in early morning, I issued from the Indian huts of the Playas de Jo- 




Jorullo. 



ruUo or ascended a portion of the Cerro del Mirador, I saw the black volcano 
projecting very picturesquely above the innumerable white columns of smoke 
of the ' little ovens ' {hornitos). Both the houses of the Playas and the basaltic 
hill Mirador are situated upon the level of the old non-volcanic, or, to speak 



TEE MEXICAN' NATIONAL RAILWAY. 233 

more cautiously, unupheaved soil. Its beautiful vegetation, in which a 
multitude of salvias bloom beneath the shade of a new species of fan- 
palm ( Coryplia pnmas\ and of a new alder (Alnus Jorullensis)^ contrasts 
with the desert, naked aspect of the Malpais. 

" The comparison of the height of the barometer, at the point where the 
upheaval commences in the Playas, with that at the point immediately at 
the foot of the volcano, gives 473 feet of relative perpendicular elevation. 
The house that we inhabited stood only about 500 toises (3, 19*7 feet) from 
the border of the Malpais. At that place there was a small perpendicular 
precipice of scarcely twelve feet high, from which the heated water of the 
brook (Rio de San Pedro) falls down. 

" The portion of the inner structure of the soil, which I could examine 
at the precipice, showed black, horizontal, loamy strata, mixed with sand 
{lapilli). At other points which I did not see, Burkart has observed ' on 
the perpendicular boundary of the upheaved soil where the ascent of this is 
difficult, a light gray and not very dense (weathered) basalt, with numerous 
grains of olivine.' 

*' This accurate and experienced observer has, however, like myself, on 
the spot, conceived the idea of a vesicular upheaval of the surface effected 
by elastic vapors, in opposition to the opinion of celebrated geognosists, 
who ascribe the convexity, which I ascertain by direct measurement, solely 
to the greater effusion of lava at the foot of the volcano. 

" The many thousand small eruptive cones (properly rather of a round- 
ish or somewhat elongated oven-like form), which cover the upheaved sur- 
face pretty uniformly, are on the average four to nine feet in height. They 
have risen almost exclusively on the western side of the great volcano, as, 
indeed, the eastern part toward the Cerro de Cuiche scarcely constitutes one 
twenty-fifth of the entire area of the vesicular elevation of the Playas. 

"Each of the numerous hornitos is composed of weathered basaltic 
spheres, with fragments separated like concentric shells ; I was frequently 
able to count from twenty-four to twenty-eight such shells. The balls are 
flattened into a somewhat spheroidal form, and are usually fifteen to eight- 
een inches in diameter, but vary from one to three feet. The black basal- 
tic mass is penetrated by hot vapors and broken up into an earthy form, 
although the nucleus is of greater density ; while the shells, when detached, 
exhibit yellow spots of oxide of iron. Even the soft, loamy mass which 
unites the balls is, singularly enough, divided into curved lamellae, which 
wind through all the interstices of the balls. 

"At the first glance I asked myself whether the whole, instead of 
weathered basaltic spheroids, containing but little olivine, did not perhaps 
present masses disturbed in the course of their formation. But in opposi- 



234: CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

tion to this we have the analogy of the hills of globular basalt, mixed with 
layers of clay and marl, which are found, often of very small dimensions, in 
the central chain of Bohemia, sometimes isolated and sometimes crowning 
long basaltic ridges at both extremities. 

" Some of the hornitos are so much broken up, or have such large inter- 
nal cavities, that mules, when compelled to place their fore-feet upon the 
flatter ones, sink in deeply, while in similar experiments which I made the 
hills constructed by the termites resisted. In the basaltic mass of the Jior- 
nitos I found no immersed scoriae, or fragments of old rocks which had 
been penetrated, as in the case of the lavas of the great Jorullo. The ap- 
pellation homos or hornitos is especially justified by the circumstance that 
in each of them (I speak of the period when I traveled over the Playas de 
Jorullo and wrote my journal, 18th of September, 1803) the columns of 
smoke break out, not from the summit, but laterally. 

" In the year 1780, cigars might still be lighted, when they were fastened 
to a stick and pushed into a depth of two or three inches ; in some places 
the air was at that time so much heated in the vicinity of the hornitos, that 
it was necessary to turn away from one's proposed course. 

"Notwithstanding the refrigeration which, according to the universal 
testimony of the Indians, the district had undergone within twenty years, 
I found the temperature in the fissures of the hornitos to range between 
199° and 203° ; and, at a distance of twenty feet from some hills, the tem- 
perature of the air was still 108-5° and 116*2° at a point where no vapors 
reached me, the true temperature of the atmosphere of the Playas being at 
the same time scarcely 7*7°. 

" The weak sulphuric vapors decolorized strips of test-paper, and rose 
visibly for some hours after sunrise, to a height of fully sixty feet. 

" The view of the columns of smoke was most remarkable early in a 
cool morning. Toward midday, and even after eleven o'clock, they had be- 
come very low and very visible only from their immediate vicinity. In the 
interior of many of the hornitos we heard a rushing sound, like the fall of 
water. The small basaltic hornitos are, as already remarked, easily de- 
structible. When Burkart visited the Malpais twenty-four years after me, 
he found that none of the hornitos were still smoking, their temperature be- 
ing in most cases the same as that of the surrounding air, while many of 
them had lost all regularity of form by heavy rains and meteoric influences. 
Near the principal volcano, Burkart found small cones, which were com- 
posed of a brownish-red conglomerate, of rounded or angular fragments of 
lava, and only loosely coherent. 

" In the midst of the upheaved area covered with hornitos, there is still 
to be seen a remnant of the old elevation on which the buildings of the 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL BAIL WAY, 235 

farm of San Pedro rested. The hill, which I have indicated in my plan, 
forms a ridge directed east and west, and its preservation at the foot of the 
great volcano is most astonishing. Only a part of it is covered with dense 
sand (burned lapilli). The projecting basaltic rock grown over with ancient 
trunks of Ficus Indica and Fsidium, is certainly, like that of the Cerro del 
Mirador and the high mountain-masses which bound the plain to the east- 
ward, to be regarded as having existed before the catastrophe." * 

Eef erring to the eruption of the volcano, Humboldt 
remarks that the natives ascribe these wonderful changes 
in the earth's surface to the work of the monks. At the 
Playas de Jorullo, the Indian, whose hut the German trav- 
eler occupied, told him that in 1759 the Capuchins belong- 
ing to the mission preached at San Pedro, but failed to re- 
ceive hospitable treatment. Accordingly, they pronounced 
anathemas upon this beautiful and. fertile plain, predict- 
ing that first of all the houses would be destroyed by 
flames, which would issue from the earth, and that after- 
ward the surrounding air would cool to such a degree that 
the neighboring mountains would remain eternally covered 
with snow and ice. The former of these maledictions hav- 
ing been verified, the lower class of Indians already see in 
the gradual cooling of the volcano the presage of a perpet- 
ual winter. 

Should the tourist wish to visit the hornitos that have 
just been described, it may be said that they are about 12 
miles from Puerta de la Playa. There is no hamlet in the 
vicinity. The famous copper-mines of 8an Pedro de Jo- 
rullo are about 15 miles distant. These ore deposits were 
worked before the Conquest, and consist of the sulphides and. 
oxides of copper. Several tunnels have been driven into the 
side of the ' mountain about 2,000 feet above the adjacent 
plain. There is from 25 to 60 per cent of metal in the cop- 
per pyrites ; and from 80 to 100 arrohas of ore are extracted 
monthly, and carried by mules to Santa Clara (see p. 221). 

* The author has italicized all Spanish words in the above extract. 



236 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

The mining district of Coalcoman lies about 60 miles 
west of Jorullo. There are many mines of gold, silyer, 
copper, and lead here. The de^oosits of iron are also said to 
be as extensive as those of the famous Cerro del Mercado in 
Durango. This circumstance, together with the proximity 
of the district to the Pacific Ocean, giyes reason to belieye 
that, upon the opening of some of the ports on the coast, 
and the deyelopment of the various mines, Coalcoman will 
become the center of wealth and commerce of the State of 
Miclioacan. From Puerta de la Play a the traveler may 
continue the journey southward, crossing the Zacatula 
River to Acapulco, 235 miles distant. The greater part of 
the road follows the outline of the Pacific coast. The river 
can be forded in the dry seasons, but rafts must be used 
during the heavy rains of summer. The climate of Aca- 
pulco is very hot and unhealthy. The town lies on a nar- 
row strip of land, less than half a mile in width, on which 
there is but little soil. It is surrounded by lofty granitic 
mountains, and has about 5,000 inhabitants. There are 
several hotels here. The harbor is the finest in Mexico. 
For many years Vera Cruz was the only other port from 
which goods were shipped to foreign countries. There was 
formerly considerable commerce between Acapulco and the 
Philippine Islands. The Pacific Mail steamships touch at 
Acapulco twice a month. 

The distance from Acapulco to San Francisco is 1,836 
miles, and the fare is (cabin) $100. The fare to Panama 
is the same, and the distance is 1,591 miles. 

The terminus of the Morelos Eailway will be at Acapul- 
co, The town will probably become an important com- 
mercial center when the road is completed. At present the 
only object of interest to the tourist is the artificial cut in 
the mountain {Abra de San Nicolas), which has been ex- 
cavated for the purpose of admitting the sea-breeze. The 
scenery of the landlocked harbor is picturesque. 



THE MEXICAN- NATIONAL RAILWAY. 237 

Route II. 

FEOM THE CITY OE MEXICO TO LAREDO Ai^D CORPUS 

CHRISTI. 

1. Mexico to Celaya. 

2. Celaya to San Luis Potosi. 

3. San Luis Potosi to Saltillo. 

4. Saltillo to Monterey. 

5. Monterey to Laredo. 

6. Laredo to Corpus Christi. 

1. Mexico to Celaya, 219 miles. 

(For description of this tour as far as Acamharo, and 
thence to Celaya, see Eoute I, pp. 202-210.) 

2. From Celaya to San Luis Potosi. 

Leaving the junction of this line with the Mexican Cen- 
tral Eailroad at Celaya, the route will go northward to San 
Luis Potosi, about 120 miles distant. This diyision of the 
road will traverse a fine agricultural country. 

On October 15, 1883, the main line had been constructed 
as far as San Miguel de Allende, 55*12 kilometres north of 
Celaya. The intermediate stations are Molino del Soria 
(15*03 kilometres) and CTiamacuero (22*06 kilometres). 
The track is rapidly approaching San Luis Potosi. A daily 
stage-coach runs from this city to the temporary terminus. 

SAK LUIS POTOSI. 

Population, 85,000 in 1883 ; elevation, 6,150 feet. 

Hotels. — San Fernando^ Del Progreso, San Carlos, San Luis, Americano. 
Baths of San Jose, in Calle de Rayon, at 3 and 4 reales ; one of the 
finest bath-houses in Mexico. 

Post-Office, about two blocks north of the baths. 
English Bankers. — Pitman & Co., opposite the Cathedral. 

San Luis, as it is generally called, is a fine city. It is 
the capital of the State of the same name. The streets are 



238 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

laid out at right angles to each other, and are well paved. 
The houses are mostly of two stories. There are several 
public squares and a fine park. The city covers a large 
area. It lies in a broad and fertile plain, surrounded by 
lofty sierras. The climate is delightful, the thermometer 
rarely falling as low as the freezing-point. 

Places of Interest. — 1. The Cathedral. 2. The Mint. 3. The City- 
Hall. 4. The Church of El Carmen. 5. The Church of San Francisco. 
6. The Church of San Agustin. 1. The Church of La Merced. 8. The 
Church of Guadalupe. 9. The Chapels of El Rosario and Los Remedios. 
10. The Alameda. 11. The Plaza mayor. 

The cathedral contains a beautiful clock that strikes the 
hours. It is in the f aQade between the towers, and was sent 
as a present to the city from a King of Spain. The tourist 
should ascend one of the towers for a view of the environs. 
The entrance is on the plaza, just north of the principal 
door of the cathedral. There is a large monument erected 
in honor of the patriot Hidalgo in the center of the plaza. 

A horse-car track has just been laid in the streets, and 
the electric light and telephones are already in use. An 
American capitalist has recently purchased a lot on the 
Alameda, with the intention of building a first-class hotel. 

The citizens of San Lids are noted for their hospitality. 
Balls are given in the winter season, to which strangers 
may be invited through some merchant or banker. There 
is a large garrison here, and the military band plays in the 
Plaza mayor three times a week. 

This city will soon become a great railway center. 

The eastern division of the Mexican Central Railroad is 
being pushed forward from Tampico as rapidly as possible. 
At present 3,600 men are employed on this section of the 
line. It is expected that the road will reach 8an Luis Po- 
tosi on July 1, 1885. It will be carried westward toward 
the main line, making a junction probably at Aguascalien- 
tes. (For description of this railway, see Section V.) 



TEE MEXICAN' NATIONAL RAILWAY. 



239 



A branch road of the Mexican National Eailway is pro- 
jected to Zacatecas, The distance is about 150 miles. 
San Luis is now a central station for diligence-lines. 
The proprietors of the Diligencias GeneraUs run stage- 



yT r^ZTTTw/^/WK^ ,/ 




Interior of a Modern Mexican House. 

coaches as follows : To Queretaro^ 160 miles, fare, 110 ; 
to Lagos, 117 miles, fare, 110 ; to Saltillo, 331 miles, fare, 
130 ; to El Maiz, 104 miles, fare, 110 ; to Pinos, 71 miles, 
fare, 18. 



2i0 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

Connection with Tampico may be made at El Maiz by 
horseback^ 104 miles to the Rio Panuco, then by steamer 
eastward to the railroad terminns. The site of 8an Luis is 
far preferable to that of Mexico. When the two American 
trunk-lines are finished, it is believed that the former city 
will soon become a rival of the latter in commercial impor- 
tance. At present freight charges to San Luis are enor- 
mous — e. g., a box of snuff, valued at 19 in New Orleans, 
will cost 150 delivered in San Luis via Laredo, including 
the duties. 

Eesidents of this city are taxed heavily for the railroad 
toward Tampico. They pay three per cent of their annual 
income. An extensive trade in groceries, leather, shoes, 
saddlery, bagging, cassimeres, hats, and grain is carried on 
here. Fruit and the cereals grow in the environs. It is said 
that twenty bushels of Indian corn are produced to the acre. 

This State is rich in minerals, although but few of the 
mines are worked at present, owing to lack of capital. The 
famous San Pedro mine is near the city. The pillars hav- 
ing been cut away, the roof of the mine has fallen in. 
Mining engineers state that there is still a large body of ore 
awaiting development. The biggest piece of native gold 
ever found in Mexico is said to have been taken out of the 
Sa7i Pedro. It was sent to the reigning King of Spain as 
a gift, and in return the Spanish sovereign presented a 
clock to the cathedral, which has already been described. 

3. From San Luis Potosi to Saltillo ; time, 4 days. 

Leaving San Luis Potosi, the railroad will be continued 
northward through Venado, Charcas, and Encarnacion, to 
Saltillo, a distance of about 330 miles. The road will cross 
the great table-land, and the grading will be easy. The 
engineers report that the line just mentioned can be con- 
structed in about the same time that has been necessary 
to lay the track between Monterey and Saltillo, At the 



THE MEXIGAF NATIONAL RAILWAY. 241 

present time the stage-coacli route from 8an Luis to the 
north passes through Charcas, Matehuala, Cedral, La Ven- 
tura, and 8altillo ; thence by rail to Laredo via Monterey, 
The diligence starts daily from San Luis at 4 A. m. 

The average distance traversed is about 82 miles a day. 
The taverns along the road are very inferior, and the tour- 
ist is advised to provide himself with beef-tea, canned 
goods, red wine, etc. The route from San Luis Potosi to 
Saltillo may be briefly described as follows : The road leads 
northward from the former city over the broad and level 
valley, in which mesquite, maguey, and nopal grow for many 
miles. The picturesque sierra bounds the plain on the east, 
while a rolling country is seen to the westward. The town 
of Montezuma, famous for its red wine, is passed on the way. 

The first night is spent at Charcas, which has about 
the same elevation as San Luis Potosi. The meson is clean, 
and the water good. There is a telegraph here. The popu- 
lation numbers about 2,000, and the distance from San 
Luis is 91 miles. 

Leaving Charcas, the road trends slightly to the north- 
east, and lies over a broad plain for several miles, when the 
mountains of Gatorce come into view. The diligence stops 
at Matehuala for dinner. The hotel is tolerably well kept. 
This city has a population of 15,000, and contains many 
haciendas de teneficios, or silver-reducing works. There 
are also silver-mines in the vicinity. 

Gatorce is 13 miles distant. It has about 12,000 inhab- 
itants, but no hotel. The population at one time reached 
20,000. Some of the richest veins of silver in the Eepub- 
lic are found in the vicinity. They are owned chiefly by 
Spaniards and Englishmen. During the French invasion a 
mint was established here. The mines of Gatorce have not 
paid well for the last few years ; but it is said that some 
rich pockets of ore have been found very recently, while 
driving a tunnel, in one of the old Spanish claims. 
11 



242 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

The word ^^ catorce^'' means fourteen. The town was 
named after a band of fourteen robbers, who were the ter- 
ror of the neighborhood for many years. 

On reaching Mateliuala, the traveler enters a region 
abounding with blue limestone. The water is purgative, 
and should be drunk sparingly. The road continues over 
a level plain toward Gedral, about 13 miles farther. In 
places, the tourist may see solid stone fences, marking the 
boundaries of haciendas, or farms. These fences are often 
carried up to the summits of the adjacent ridges. 

The soil is little cultivated between Charcas and Cedral, 
Irrigation is necessary, and there are no acequias or ditches. 
By taking advantage of the rainy season, however, more 
cereals could be grown. This portion of the great northern 
table-land, like the others, will always yield more in min- 
eral than in agricultural products, unless water companies 
are organized, and tanks built in the ravines of the sierras 
for irrigation. 

The second night is passed at Cedral, 78 miles from 
Charcas. The former town has about 4,000 inhabitants 
and two taverns. The Diligencias is the better. It has 
accommodation for eight passengers. There are several 
silver-reducing mills in Cedral. The ores come froni Ca- 
torce, and contain sulphur. They are roasted, therefore, in 
a reverberatory furnace, before being crushed and amalga- 
mated. The pyramidal mountain of El Fraile stands near 
the town. It may be ascended by a bridle-path to a point 
a short distance from the summit, and thence on foot. 

Leaving Cedral, there is a good road to La Ventura, 
81 miles distant, over a broad valley, bordered with sierras 
on either side. There is but little vegetation to be seen, 
other than the huisacM, mesquite, and shrub-palms. At 
El Salado, about 27 miles from Cedral, a stop is made for 
lunch. We are now on the eastern boundary of one of the 
largest estates in Mexico, the Hacienda del Salado, It lies 



TEE MEXIGAE EATIOEAL RAILWAY, 243 

partly in the four States of San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, 
Nuevo Leon, and Coahuila. There are 8,000 horses and 
3,000 cattle on the farm. Wells and tanks are used for 
watering the stock, as no running streams exist here. 

The next night is spent in La Ventura, at the ranch 
of General Trevino. This spot lies in a broad plain, sur- 
rounded by lofty ridges of mountains. There is a large 
pond in the rear of the farm-house, where the tourist can 
bathe. The ^^ hotel" accommodation is very poor, and the 
traveler is warned to beware of fleas {pulgas). 

Leaving La Ventura, where the elevation is 5,840 feet, 
the road continues level for several miles. The limestone 
rock still covers the country. Presently a long hill is as- 
cended, and Agua Nueva is reached. Here the altitude is 
6,380 feet. This is a fertile spot, and affords good water. 
It is about 20 miles from 8altillo, This part of the route is 
celebrated in Mexican history as being the scene of battles, 
both during the War of Independence as well as in the con- 
flict with the United States. A few miles farther is the 
hamlet of La Encantada, having an elevation of 6,171 feet. 
General Taylor with his army encamped here before the 
battle of Buena Vista. 

. A wagon-road goes from this place to Parras,^ and the 
'Haguna^^ country of Coahuila. The altitude of P arras 
is 4,986 feet, according to Wislizenus. Cotton, fruit, and 
the cereals grow in considerable quantities in the vicinity 
of Parras. The annual crop of the former staple amounts 
to 650,000 pounds. The yucca- tree is common in Coahuila. 
It grows to a height of thirty feet. Some species bear an 
edible fruit which resembles the banana. Proceeding far- 
ther, the traveler crosses the famous battle-field of Buena 
Vista, on a plateau about half a mile wide. Here, on Feb- 
ruary 22 and 23, 1847, the American army, under General 
Taylor, defeated the Mexicans, who were commanded by 

* Parras is about 75 miles west of Saltillo. 



244 



CITIES AFD ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 



Santa Anna, The forces of the latter outnumbered those 
of the former by about four to one. 

The stage-road descends from Buena Vista nearly all 
the way to Saltillo, the first part of it being quite rough. 
The difference of elevation between the two points is almost 




Yucca-tree. 



a thousand feet. The jagged ridge of limestone on the 
eastern side of the route soon trends to the eastward, and 
extends as far as Monterey. 

The tourist approaching Saltillo does not see it until 
within about 300 yards of the city. He may have, how- 
ever, an extensive view of the valley in which tliis town 



TEE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 245 

lies, as well as the picturesque sierras bounding it, from the 
plateau on the south. 

After a continual descent, the houses come in sight, and 
the diligence rattles over the cobble-stone pavement of the 
streets to the hotel, stopping first at the post-office to de- 
liver the mail. The city is 81 miles from La Ventura, 

SALTILLO. 

Population, 11,340; elevation, 5,204 feet. 
Hotel. — San Estehan. 

There are a few mesones. The water for the city is 
brought from the mountains in a long aqueduct. Saltillo 
is the capital of the State of Coahuila, and is a very healthy 
place. It is well built, and contains an Alameda and several 
plazas. The parochial church on the Plaza mayor is worthy 
of a visit. There is a small garrison and a bull-ring here. 
A fort, which was built during the French occupation, 
stands on the hill behind the city. Several cotton-factories 
are found in the neighborhood, and a considerable trade in 
goat and sheep skins is carried on in Saltillo. This city is 
destined to become the emporium of Northeastern Mexico. 
A wagon-road leads to Monclova, 121 miles distant, and 
the Mexican International Eailroad, starting from Piedras 
Negras, will probably have a branch line from Monclova to 
Saltillo. The Mexican National Railway began to run 
trains to the latter town about September 15, 1883.* The 
climate is temperate and dry. An American capitalist is 
about to erect a hotel, with all the modern conveniences. 
Saltillo is likely to become a resort for invalids. It has 
many advantages over Colorado, and the distance from 
New York or Philadelphia to either place is about the 
same. 

* On October 15, 1883, the road-bed had been graded to El Salado^ 86 
miles south of Saltillo. 



246 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

4. From Saltillo to Monterey, GY'S miles. Difference of elevation, 3,414 

feet. 

Leaying Saltillo, the railroad traverses a fertile valley, 
in which wheat, barley, and maize are cultivated. The 
views along the route are beautiful. The first station is 
Capellania (8 miles). Passing the hamlets of Ojo Caliente 
(18*4 miles) and Los Muertos (24*5 miles), we reach Einco- 
nada (31*1 miles). Here the altitude is 3,316 feet, or 1,888 
feet lower than Saltillo. There is a large ranch near the 
station. The track of the Mexican National Railway leaves 
the broad canon near Rinconada. The grade now de- 
scends rapidly, and the scenery becomes magnificent. The 
walls of the valley are formed of steep, rocky ridges with 
serrated outlines. The next stop is made at Garcia (46*8 
miles), elevation, 2,465 feet. The next station is Santa 
Catarina (59*8 miles). This village has a population of 
about 1,500. There is a great deal of mesquite and nopal 
growing in the vicinity. The famous potrero is about 
four miles distant. It is a pasture which is reached by a 
windmg canon intersecting the south side of the lofty and 
rocky sierra. The scenery is very picturesque. The lime- 
stone has been shaped into pinnacles, domes, and towers. 
In fact, it reminds the traveler of a miniature Yosemite. A 
very pleasant excursion from Monterey would be, to take 
the morning train to Santa Catarina, visit the potrero on 
horseback or on foot, and return to the city by the evening 
train. The wagon-road passes Independence Hill, a few 
miles beyond Santa Catarina. It is an artificial mound 
about 150 feet high, with two wooden crosses on the sum- 
mit, erected to the memory of the heroes who fell at the 
battle of Monterey in 1847. There was considerable fight- 
ing in this region during the Mexican War. Among other 
soldiers who fought here and have since become famous, 
may be mentioned General AVilliam T. Sherman, who was 
then a lieutenant in the United States Army. 



TEE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 



247 



We now pass the stations of Leona (61*5 miles) and San 
Geronimo (64*1 miles). Continuing the journey toward 
Monterey, the next place of interest is the Bishop's Palace, 
situated on a hill about 150 feet above the surrounding 
plain. A fort was built on this eminence, and occupied by 
the Mexicans during the war. After a short resistance, the 




Scene on the Northern Plateau. 



Americans caused it to surrender. At present the Bishop's 
Palace is used as a barracks. A company of artillery, with 
half a dozen guns, is stationed here. The city is four miles 
distant. A species of dwarf palm-tree, popularly called the 
dagger-plant, grows along the wagon-road. 

The next stopping-place is Gonzalitos {QQ miles), after 
which comes Monterey (67*8 miles). 



248 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

MOKTERET. 

Population, 15,300; elevation, 1,790 feet. 

Hotels. — Iturhide^ Monterey, Fonda Americana. 

Baths. — Del Refugio, in the Calle de Dr. Mier. 

Carriages. — Four reales an hour. 

Post-Office, on the plaza. 

Telegraph- Office, at the railway-station. 

Horse-Cars, from X\xe. plaza to the railway-station; fare, a medio (6 J cents). 

The city is the capital of the State of Nuevo Leon, and 
is situated on the Rio de 8anta Catarina, in latitude 25° 
40' 6'' north, and longitude 0° 49' west of Mexico. It lies 
in a broad plain, with the majestic Bishoj^'s Mitre, or Cerro 
de la Mitra, on the west, and the unique Saddle-Mountain, 
or Cerro de la Silla, on the east. Both of these hills are 
formed almost entirely of solid rock. The latter is 4,149 
feet and the former 3,618 feet above the level of the sea. 

Monterey covers a great deal of ground. The houses are 
mostly of one story, except on the two public squares, where 
they have two stories. 

Places of Interest. — 1. The Cathedral. 2. The Bishop's Palace (al- 
ready described). 3. The New Bridge, or Puente Nuevo. 4. The Tank, 
Ojo de Agua. 5. The Chapel of Guadalupe. — 6. The Market. 

The bridge is famous as the scene of a battle between the 
Mexicans and Americans. The former defended it success- 
fully against the onslaught of the latter. Zealous Catholics 
in Monterey say that the image of the Virgin, then on the 
bridge, assured the victory of their countrymen. 

The tank is much used lor washing clothes and for 
bathing. The stranger should ascend the hill known as 
the Caido, beyond the chapel of Guadalupe and due south 
of the city. A carriage may be driven to within a hundred 
yards of the summit, or it can easily be reached on horse- 
back. The view is one of the most picturesque in the Re- 
public, and affords an opportunity of studying the topog- 
raphy of Monterey and the neighboring battle-fields. 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 249 

It reminds the traveler of Salzburg, and several other 
towns in the Tyrol. If the tourist intends remaining long 
in the city, he may ascend the Saddle-Mountain, or the 
Bishop's Mitre. A visit should be made to the potrero 
(described on page 246). Native work, such as fancy 
baskets, purses, bird-figures, etc., can be purchased at the 
jail, which is in the old convent of San Francisco. 

Monterey has become more Americanized, perhaps, than 
any other Mexican town. The hotels are kept on the 
American plan ; and merchants, lawyers, doctors, and den 
tists from the United States have established themselves here. 

There are beautiful drives in the vicinity. The climate 
is dry and healthy, although very warm for half the year. 
Monterey is on the isothermal line that i^asses through the 
Canary Isles, and Canton, in China. The prevailing wind 
is from the southeast. The following temperatures were 
taken in 1865 by Dr. E. Gonzalez, and given to the author . 

Mean temperature of the year Yl ° Fahr. 

Mean temperature of the winter 65" 

Mean temperature of the summer 83° 

Hottest month, July 84^° 

Coldest month, January 51° 

Maximum temperature, May 25th 107° 

Minimum temperature, January 24th 32° 

This city may become a resort for invalids, a few of 
whom passed the winter of 1883 here. The changes of 
temperature, however, are said to be more rapid than at 
Saltillo, and the climate of the latter town is certainly 
much cooler in summer. 

5. From Monterey to Laredo. Distance, 172 miles. Fares : $7.05, first 
class ; $5.75, second class. Two passenger-trains daily. 

Leaving Monterey station, which is about a mile and a 
half from the plaza, the road runs northward over the 
broad plain. The mountains surrounding the city present 



250 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

a magnificent spectacle to the eye, and are seen to best ad- 
vantage from the rear platform of the last car. As the 
train moves onward, they appear to fade out of sight like a 
dissolving view. Much coin and bullion are transported 
over this route. Sometimes 1100,000 will be carried in 
the baggage-car of the train. Passing the hamlet of Es- 
tancia (6 miles), the next station is Topo (13 miles). Here 
the elevation is 1,590 feet, or 200 feet lower than Mon- 
terey. 

The next stop is made at Salinas (21 miles), where the 
altitude is 1,432 feet. This town has about 4,000 inhab- 
itants, and is situated on a river of the same name. The 
surrounding region is fertile, and produces fruit. The 
adjoining canon contains silver-mines that are worked at 
the present time. 

Leaving Salinas, the lofty sierra still bounds the plain 
on the west. The ridge-line is, however, somewhat lower 
than at Monterey, and it decreases in height on running 
northward, until it assumes the form of a mesa, or terrace. 

Falo Blanco (43 miles) is the next station, and then the 
train stops at Yillaldama (59 miles). A forest of palm- 
trees is passed on the way, and the country to the eastward 
continues level for many miles. The elevation of Villal- 
dama is 1,412 feet, and it is named after Aldama, one of 
the heroes of the War of Independence. The town lies 
about a mile east of the railroad, and was formerly known 
as Boca de los Leones. The population numbers about 
5,000, and it is chiefly descended from Spaniards. There 
are lead-mines in the vicinity, but they have been aban- 
doned, owing to lack of capital. Leaving Villaldama, the 
next station is Bustamante (67 miles), where a stop of 
twenty minutes is made for dinner. The next station is 
Golondri^ios (74 miles), where a stock-farm may be visited. 
Passing the hamlet of Salome Botello (83 miles), we reach 
Lampazos (96 miles), which has an elevation of 1,032 feet. 



THE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 



251 



The latter town lies eastward of the track. Mexican 
blankets are manufactured here. 

Opposite Lampazos is the Mesa de los Gartiilianes, a 
terrace rising about 2,000 feet above the plain. Its area is 
about 20 X 15 miles, and it is accessible from only one 
point. This plateau affords good water, grass, and timber. 
It was formerly used by Indians as a hidiug-i^lace. The 
mesa is owned bv Patrick 
Milmo, Esq., an Irish settler, 
who married the daughter 
of an ex-Go Ycrnor of Nuevo 
Leon. Mr. Milmo is also 
the proprietor of an im- 
mense amount of real estate 
in Monterey and the adja- 
cent region. 

Leaving Lampazos, the 
train passes Mojina (109 
miles) and Rodriguez (124 
miles). Just before reach- 
ing the latter place the track 
makes a bend to the east. 
The elevation of Rodriguez 
is 651 feet. The country 
is now covered with nopal- 
bushes and mesquite. The 
mountain - ridge gradually 
subsides into the plain. We 

cross the Salado Eiver, and reach HuisacJiito (135 miles), 
where the road-bed curves eastward. The next station is 
Jarita (148 miles). Here the altitude is 674 feet. The 
surrounding country is flat and uninteresting as far as the 
frontier. Passing Sanchez (150 miles), New Laredo (166 
miles) is reached. The Mexican National Kailway crosses 
the Mexican Southern just before reaching its station. 




Varieties of Cactus. 



252 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

NEW LAREDO. 

Population, about 10,000; elevation, 438 feet. 
Hotel. — Rio Grande. 

This town was a part of old Laredo, on the opposite 
side of the river, before Texas was separated from Mexico. 
Communication has always been made by ferries, until the 
recent completion of the railroad-bridge. New Laredo will 
become an important city when the two American trunk- 
lines are finished. The Mexican National and the Mexican 
Southern Eailway Companies have recently made arrange- 
ments to build jointly a substantial iron bridge across the 
Rio Grande, to replace the wooden trestle-work erected by 
the former company. The new bridge will be used by 
both roads. Leaving New Laredo, the train passes the 
station of Rio Grande (168 miles), and then crosses the 
river, which is about one quarter of a mile wide. The 
next stop is at Mexico Junction (169 miles). The track 
now makes a long bend to the northwest, and reaches 
Laredo, Texas (172 miles). Between the two Laredos, an 
express agent passes through the cars, and checks baggage 
to any part of the latter city. He also sells transfer tickets 
to the depot of the International and Great Northern Eail- 
road, which runs to San Antonio. The customs inspector 
meets the train on arrival at the station- of Laredo, and ex- 
amines baggage on the platform without causing any un- 
necessary delay to the passengers. There is a dining-room 
adjoining the station, owned and controlled by the Mexican 
National Eailway Company. 

LAREDO. 

Population, 12,000 ; elevation, 438 feet above the Gulf at Corpus Christi. 
Hotels. — Wilson Ho\ise^ Laredo Hotel. 

Tickets are sold at Laredo to all parts of the United 
States. The distance to San Antonio is 153 miles, and the 



TEE MEXICAN NATIONAL RAILWAY. 253 

time is 9^ hours. There is but one passenger- train daily. 
The tourist can go eastward from San Antonio to Hous- 
ton and New Orleans, or westward toward El Paso and 
California. The distance from — 

Miles. 

Laredo to the City of Mexico is 820 

Laredo via Houston to New Orleans is 720 

Laredo to St. Louis, Mo., via Texarkana is 1,084 

Laredo to New York via St. Louis is 2,181 

Laredo to New York via New Orleans is 2,398 

6. From Laredo to Corpus Christi, distance 161 miles. Time, 12| hours. 
Two passenger-trains daily. Fare, $4.83, or three cents a mile. 



The stations between Laredo and Corpus Christi are : 

Miles. 
Laredo 



Mexico Junction 3 

Pescadita 18 

Aguilares 30 

Los Angeles 46 

Pena 61 

Realitos 75 



Miles. 

Sweden 85 

Benavides 91 

San Diego 108 

Collins 121 

Banquete 136 

Rogers 149 

Corpus Christi 161 



Corpus Christi (St. James Hotel) is the terminus of the 
Texas-Mexican Eailway, and is 981 miles from the City of 
Mexico. 

The mean depth of water at high tide in the harbor is 
12 feet, but a recent congressional appropriation has led to 
the improYement of the channel. When the Mexican Na- 
tional Eailway is completed, it is expected that merchan- 
dise will be shipped from Europe and from the Eastern and 
Middle States to Corpus Christi, and be sent thence by rail 
direct to the Mexican capital. In this respect, the line 
will have an advantage oyer its riyal, the Mexican Central. 

(For additional information concerning the routes 
through Texas, see Appletons' General Guide to the United 
States.) 



SECTION V. 

The Mexican Central Railway (Ferrocarril Central 
Mexicano). 

(Compare with the chapter on railways.) 
Of the two branches of this road, the southern or prin- 
cipal one will be described first. 

Route I. 
FKOif THE CITY OF MEXICO TO ZACATECAS. 

1. Mexico to Queretaro. 

2. Queretaro to Guanajuato. 

3. Guanajuato to Lagos, 

4. Lagos to Guadalajara and San Bias. 

5. Lagos to Zacatecas. 

1. From Mexico to Queretaro, 246 kilometres, or 152^ miles. 

Leaving the railroad-station at Buena Vista (elevation, 
7,347 feet), the line rnns northward over the broad valley 
of Mexico. The first station is Lecher ia (21 kilometres). 
The track of the Mexican National Eailway runs parallel 
with this road for several miles. The grade is slightly as- 
cending, Leclieria being 7,386 feet above the sea-level, or 
39 feet above the City of Mexico. The snow-clad peaks 
of Popocatepetl and Iztacciliuatl remain in full view. We 
now stop at the hamlets of Cuautitlan (27 kilometres), 
Teoloyucan (36 kilometres), and Huehuetoca (47 kilometres). 

Both of these American railroad companies have station- 



TEE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY, 255 

houses at these three places, and the Mexican National 
Eailway crosses the Mexican Central at Huehuetoca. 

The elevation of this point is 7,533 feet above the sea- 
level, according to Humboldt, or about 140 feet higher than 
the measurement of the railway-engineers. In general, it 
may be said that the distinguished German traveler and sci- 
entist, in taking altitudes with his barometer throughout 
the country, computed the elevations of the various points 
at somewhat higher figures than those of the engineers of 
the several railroads. Wheat and maize are cultivated in 
the vicinity of Huelnietoca, 

This village is famous in Mexican history as being the scene of one of 
the greatest hydraulic operations ever undertaken by man. Frequent in- 
undations of the City of Mexico, in the latter part of the sixteenth century, 
convinced the Spaniards that the system of dikes was insuflScient to pro- 
tect the capital. It was decided that the artificial draining of the Lakes of 
Tezcitco^ Zumpanffo, and San Cristobal, would be necessary. 

Two intelligent men, Obrcgon and Arciniega, proposed to the Govern- 
ment that a gallery should be made through the hills of Nochistongo, to the 
north-northwest of Huehuetoca. This spot was perhaps the lowest in the 
mountains bounding the valley of Mexico on the north. In IGOY the Marquis 
de Salinas, then viceroy, employed Enrico Martinez to begin the stupendous 
work of building a tunnel through the hills to drain the Mexican lakes. It 
received the name of the Desague (canal) de Huehuetoca. Work on the 
famous gallery of Nochistongo was commenced on November 28, 1607. 
The viceroy, in the presence of the audiencia^ applied the first pickaxe, and 
15,000 Indians were given employment. After eleven months of continued 
labor, during which many hundreds of Indians perished from severe treat- 
ment, the tunnel {el socaboti) was completed. Its length was more than 
four miles, its width eleven and a half feet, and its height fourteen feet. 

The water flowed through the canal for the first time on September 17, 
1608. In the following December the viceroy and Archbishop of Mexico 
were invited by Martinez to witness it running, from the Lake of Zumpango 
and the Rio de Cuauiitlan, through the tunnel. The Viceroy Salinas is 
said to have ridden upward of a mile into this underground passage. 

Scarcely had the water begun to flow from the valley of Mexico toward 
the Atlantic Ocean, when the canal was found to be too small. The loose 
earth surrounding the tunnel began to crumble, and it became necessary to 
support the roof, which was composed of alternate strata of marl and stiff 



256 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

clay. At first wood was used, but afterward masonry was deemed prefer- 
able. The water, however, gradually undermined the lateral walls, and de- 
posited a large quantity of earth and gravel on the bottom of the canal. 
Martinez built small sluices at intervals to clear the passage, to obviate 
these difficulties. This remedy, however, proved insufficient, and the gallery 
was stopped up by the constant falling in of earth. 

From 1608 to 1614 various schemes for enlarging the canal were dis- 
cussed. In the latter year the court of Madrid, wearied out by the disputes 
of the engineers, sent out Adrian Boot, a Dutchman of large experience in 
hydraulic architecture. He was in favor of the Indian system, and advised 
the construction of great dikes and mounds of earth around the capital. 
He was unable to bring about the relinquishment of the NocMstongo Canal 
till 1623. About this time a new viceroy (Guelves) arrived, who scouted 
the idea that the City of Mexico was in danger of floods. 

He had the temerity to order the desague to be closed, and to make the 
water of the Lakes of Zumpango and San Cristobal return to the Lake of 
Tezcuco^ that he might see whether the peril was, in fact, as great as it had 
been represented. The last lake soon swelled rapidly, and the foolish direc- 
tions to the engineer Martinez were countermanded. 

The latter now began his operations anew, and continued them till June 
20, 1629. Heavy rains fell, and suddenly the capital became inundated to 
the height of a metre (3^ feet). Martinez was committed to prison. Con- 
trary to every expectation, Mexico remained flooded for flve years, from 
1629 to 1634! During this interval four different projects were presented 
and discussed by the Marquis de Ceralvo, the viceroy. The misery of the 
lower classes was singularly increased while the inundation lasted. Trade 
was at a stand, many houses tumbled down, and others were rendered un- 
inhabitable. The waters, however, in 1634, receded, the ground in the 
valley having opened on account of violent and very frequent earthquakes. 

The viceroy now set the engineer Martinez at liberty. He was ordered 
to finish the desague^ by enlarging the original tunnel. The Government 
levied particular imposts on the consumption of commodities for the expense 
of these hydraulic operations. 

In 1637 the Viceroy Yillena put the entire work in charge of Father 
Luis Flores, of the Order of St. Francis. It was decided to abandon the 
tunnel {socabon\ to remove the top of the vault, and to make an immense 
cut through the mountain, of which the old subterranean passage was to be 
merely the water-course. 

The monks of St. Francis continued to retain direction of this work 
for about forty years, when Martin del Solis, a lawyer, obtained from the 
court of Madrid the administration of the desague. He proved to be in- 



258 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

competent to manage such a gigantic engineering scheme, and the passage 
was stopped up. The canal had been opened and walled in a few years, 
but it required two centuries to complete the cut in a loose earth, in sec- 
tions of from 262 to 328 feet in breadth, and from 131 to 164 feet in per- 
pendicular depth. The work was neglected in years of drought, but renewed 
with extraordinary energy after a season of heavy rains. 

In 1762 there were still at the northern extremity of the tunnel of Mar- 
tinez 6,356 feet which had never been converted into an open trench (iajo 
abierto). At length, in 1767, the Flemish viceroy, the Marquis de Croix, 
undertook to finish the desague. The cut was enlarged, but, in fact, the 
great canal was never entirely completed. Millions had been expended, and 
the Government, hesitating between the Indian system of dikes and the 
modern scheme of a canal and open cut through the hill, never had the 
courage to adhere to the same plan. 

The gallery was allowed to be choked up, because a wider and deeper 
one was required ; and the cut of Noehistongo was not to be finished, while 
the oflficials were disputing about the project of the canal of Tezcuco^ which 
was never executed. 

In the beginning of the present century the entire length of the desague 
from south to north was 20,585 metres, or about 12f miles. This is reck- 
oning from the sluice of Vertideros, about 2| miles south of Huehuetoca, to 
El Salio del Rio de Tida. 

For further particulars about this great canal, the reader 
is referred to Humboldt's Political Essay on the Kingdom 
of Neiu Spain, Black's translation, yoI. ii, pp. 75-112, from 
which the above abstract is taken. Humboldt also discusses 
the scheme of extending the canal from El Salto to Tam- 
pico, on the Gulf of Mexico. For many years this plan, 
although never undertaken, was considered practicable by 
the Mexicans. 

It may be remarked that a canal of such length could 
be used for irrigation in the dry season, as well as for the 
transportation of merchandise by small craft. Of course a 
great many locks would be necessary, as the difference of 
level between Huelmetoca and Tampico is 7,400 feet. The 
tourist can obtain a hasty view of this great hydraulic work 
from the car- window, as the track is now laid through the 
cut (tajo) of Noehistongo. But, to examine the desague 



THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. 259 

properly, a stop should be made at Huehuetoca or El Salto, 
where a horse can be procured for the short journey. The 
traveler can leave Mexico in the morning by either road 
(i. e., the Mexican Central or the Mexican National), in- 
spect the ancient canal, and return in the afternoon train. 

Leaving Huehuetoca, we pass Kilometer (53 kilometres), 
and the next station is El Salto (62 kilometres). Here the 
Mexican National Railway crosses the Mexican Central 
again.* (Elevation of El Salto, 7,131 feet.) Between Hue- 
huetoca and El Salto the road runs northwest, but from 
the latter station to San Antonio the general course of the 
track is westerly. 

The snow-clad volcanoes are no longer visible after leav- 
ing Tula (80 kilometres) {Hotel Diligencias). This town 
was once the great Toltec capital. Euins are found on the 
Hill of Treasure (see p. 48). From this station, having an 
elevation of 6,658 feet, the up-grade becomes quite percep- 
tible for a few miles. Much wheat and maize grow along 
the line, especially in the river-bottoms. 

We now stop at San Antonio (93 kilometres ; elevation, 
7,216 feet). Trees of nopal, piru, and huisachi are abun- 
dant in places where the land has not been cultivated. 
The general direction of the route is now west-northwest. 
The country is rolling, and good for stock-raising. Pass- 
ing the stations of Angeles (112 kilometres). Marques (122 
kilometres), Nopala (130 kilometres), Danu (138 kilome- 
tres), Polotitlan (151 kilometres), and Cazadero (161 kilome- 
tres), the train describes a long curve, and reaches San 
Juan del Rio (191 kilometres). The highest point of the 
railroad is just east of Marques station. Here the altitude 
is 8,134 feet, or 787 feet above the capital. Thence the 
grade is downward toward Polotitlan — elevation, 7, 534 feet, 
and San Juan del Rio — 6,300 feet. 

* El Salto is 67*29 kilometres from Mexico, via the Mexican National 
Railway. 



260 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

This latter town is situated in a broad and very fertile 
plain, where cereals are cultiyated. Some of the best agri- 
cultural land in the Eepublic lies between here and Leon, 
The population of San Juan del Rio is about 12,000, and 
the streets are wide and well payed. It was formerly one 
of the largest woolen manufacturing cities in the country. 
The train stops thirty minutes at this place for breakfast. 
The restaurant is very well kept, and the eastward and 
westward passenger-trains usually meet here. 

AJiorcado (216 kilometres) is the next station ; elevation, 
6,258 feet. The track now runs slightly downward over a 
productive region, passing the immense cotton-mills at Her- 
cules, and reaches Queretaro (246 kilometres). 

QUEKETAKO. 

Population, 38,000 in 1882; elevation, 6,363 feet, according to Hum- 
boldt, and 5,904 feet, according to the railroad-engineers. 

Hotels. — Diligencias^ Del Ferrocarril Central^ Del Aguila Roja, RuiZj 
and Hidalgo. 

Baths, in the Calle de Zocutorios. 

Fost-Office, in the same street. 

Queretaro is the capital of the State of the same name, 
and was founded by the Aztecs about the middle of the 
fifteenth century. It was conquered by the Spaniards, 
under Fernando de Tapia, a lieutenant of Cortes, in 1531. 
The city contains many fine edifices, several public squares, 
and numerous paved streets. It has a temperate climate, 
and fruits, flowers, and the cereals grow abundantly in the 
environs. The water-supply comes from a neighboring 
mountain, by means of a stone aqueduct, some of the 
arches of which are ninety feet high. The cost of this 
structure was $124,000, the greater part of which was paid 
by the Marquis de Villar del Aguila, to whom the citizens 
have erected a statue on one of the plazas. 

Places op Interest. — 1. The Churches of San Francisco, or the Ca- 
thedral ; San Antonio, San Agustin, Santo Domingo, Santa Clara, El Car- 



THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. 261 

men^ de la Cruz^ and Santa Rosa. Santa Clara is the finest of all, and 
contains exquisite gilt wooden carvings. A convent adjoins it. 2. The 
Hercules cotton-mill. 3. El Cerro de las Campanas. 4. The Alameda^ 
with beautiful groves of ash-treeSi 

No traveler should leave the country without visiting 
the famous Hercules mill. The railroad- track runs close 
to it, and the distance by carriage from Queretaro is about 
two miles. The factory was begun in 1840 by Senor Ruhio. 
The cost of building it, together with the ground, was 
14,000,000. It is a sort of citadel. Inclosed by a high wall, 
provided with port-holes, occupying several acres, and giv- 
ing employment to 1,400 operatives, it forms a manufactur- 
ing town of itself. 

The Ruhio family live here, and their apartments ad- 
join a beautiful garden, laid out with artificial ponds and 
statues. The buildings are of stone, and the machinery 
has been imported principally from England. Both steam 
and water power are used in the factory, and it- has one of 
the largest overshot wheels in the world, being fifty feet 
in diameter. The operatives are all Mexicans. There are, 
however, half a dozen Europeans employed as foremen and 
superintendents. The force of hands is kept working both 
day and night, and an immense number of yards of un- 
bleached cotton, called manta, is manufactured annually. 
Senor es Ruhio have a small "army" of thirty-eight sol- 
diers, who are provided with muskets and howitzers. Thus 
far the owners have defended their property successfully 
against the insurgents during several revolutions. The 
proprietors say that there has been but one strike among 
the operatives during the last twenty-five years. 

Don Cayetano Ruhio is the present manager of the es- 
tablishment. He went to Manchester, England, when a 
lad, and learned the trade of cotton-spinning. He is very 
polite to strangers, and sends a clerk to accompany them 
through the factory. The Hercules mill suggests much 



262 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

material for study to foreigners who are reckoning on the 
future of manufactures in Mexico. 

The Cerro de las Gampanas is the hill on the north side 
of which the unfortunate Maximilian was shot. During 
the empire, earthworks were built on this eminence, which 
rises about one hundred feet above the plain. The Liberal 
army, under General Escobedo, besieged Queretaro while 
Maximilian was in command. Through the treachery of 
Colonel Miguel Lopez, the Emperor was taken prisoner, 
and his forces subsequently surrendered to the Liberals. 
Maximilian was tried before a court-martial, and sentenced 
to be shot. Persistent efforts were made to save his life. 
The Princess Salm-Salm is said to have ridden to San 
Luis Potosi, the seat of the Eepublican Government, 160 
miles distant, and begged President Juarez to pardon 
the adventurer from Miramar. The Government of the 
United States was appealed to in vain. None of the 
European potentates ventured to intercede, and Maximil- 
ian, together with his comrades in arms. Generals Miramon 
and Mejia, was shot on June 19, 1867. His body was sub- 
sequently taken to Vienna for interment. 

The night before the Emperor's execution, he wrote the 
following letter to his wife, who was then a maniac, confined 
in one of the palaces of her father, the King of the Belgians : 

" To MY BELOVED Charlotte : If God ever permits you to recover and 
read these lines, you will learn the cruelty of the fate which has not ceased 
to pursue me since your departure for Europe. You carried with you my 
soul and my happiness. Why did I not listen to you ? So many events, 
alas ! so many unexpected and unmerited catastrophes, have overwhelmed 
me, that I have no more hope in my heart, an4 I await death as a delivering 
angel. I die without agony. I shall fall with glory, like a soldier, like a 
conquered king. If you have not the power to bear so much suffering, if 
God soon reunites us, I shall bless the divine and paternal hand which has 
so rudely stricken us. Adieu ! Adieu ! Thy poor Max." 

A diligence runs three times a week from Queretaro to 
San Luis Potosi, the distance being 160 miles, and the fare 



TEE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. 263 

is 110. The road is rough, and two days are required for 
the trip. The route passes through two towns named after 
heroes of the War of Independence — San Miguel de Allende, 
a well-built city of about 20,000 inhabitants, and Dolores 
Hidalgo. The latter was the parish of the illustrious jt?o^<^re, 
Hidalgo, and it was here that he sounded the key-note for 
the Independence of Mexico, while addressing the populace 
on the 16th of September, 1810. 

2. From Queretaeo to Guanajuato, 160 kilometres, oi* 100 miles. 

Leaving Queretaro, the road traverses a rich agricultural 
plain bounded by hills of moderate extent. The track runs 
nearly due west to Calera (264 kilometres), elevation, 5,904 
feet, and the grade is now slightly downward. Passing the 
station of Apaseo (278 kilometres), we reach Celaya (292 
kilometres), where the elevation is 5,800 feet. At the latter 
point the main line of the Mexican National Eailway crosses 
the track. (For a description of this route, see Section IV, 
pp. 237-252.) 

Celaya {Hotel Cortazar) lies in a broad plain. The 
population is about 15,000. The town is noted for its 
churches. Those of San Francisco and El Carmen are 
worthy of a visit. Several woolen-factories are found here. 
There are also factories of cotton thread at the town of Sal- 
vatierra, 20 miles distant. 

Celaya is destined, when the American trunk-lines are 
completed, to become a place of some importance. 

Leaving this station, the road continues in a westerly 
direction with a gradual descent to Ouaje (311 kilometres), 
and thence to Salamanca (333 kilometres). The latter 
place has an altitude of 5,680 feet, and a population of 
13,000. It is celebrated for the manufacture of leathern 
clothing and gloves. Boys bring the latter into the cars 
for sale. There are also rich deposits of kaolin and white 
clay here. The best hotel is the Cortazar. At Salamanca 



264 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

the line takes a northwesterly direction, and, passing the 
station of CMco (344 kilometres), reaches Irapuato (353 
kilometres). A diligence connects at the latter town with 
La Piedad and Barca, and thence to Lake Chapala. The 
population of Irapuato is about 12,000. 

The track now ascends in approaching Villalohos (370 
kilometres), and the next station is Silao (383 kilometres). 

SILAO. 

Population, about 10,000 ; elevation, 5,910 feet. 

Hotel. — Hidalgo. Also an excellent restaurant kept by a Frenchman 
opposite the station. 

The town lies in a district where two crops of wheat and 
maize are grown annually. Irrigation is necessary, how- 
ever, and the water is commonly raised from the ditches 
by a rude bucket-wheel worked by man-power. 

The wheat-haryest is thirty-fiye and forty for one, and 
sometimes even as high as fifty or sixty to one. In the 
farms that are properly irrigated, the wheat is twice watered : 
first, when the young plant springs up in the month of 
January ; and, secondly, in the beginning of March, when 
the ear is on the point of developing itself. Sometimes 
even the entire field is inundated before sowing. This 
method resembles the mode of cultivation of the cereals in 
lower Egypt. ( Vide p. 95.) 

A branch road leads to Guanajuato, 23 kilometres dis- 
tant. This town is situated in the low range of mount- 
ains that forms the northern boundary of the plain. The 
intervening region has an undulating surface, and very 
little vegetation except the nopal. The branch track runs 
northeasterly, and the upward grade is heavy. It was 
finislied in November, 1882. The line is built as far as 
Marfil (18 kilometres). At this station, both stage-coaches 
and horse-cars connect with Guanajuato, 5 kilometres dis- 
tant. The fare in the former is 25 cents for each passenger 



THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. 265 

with ordinary baggage, and in the tramway 15 cents, first 
class, and 7 cents, second class. The railway company in- 
tends to extend its track to Guanajuato in a few months. 

GUANAJUATO. 

Population, 56,112; elevation, 6,836 feet, according to Humboldt. 
Hotels. — Del Suizo, Bayas, and Diligencias. 
Restaurants. — De Bordeaux, Frances, 

Guanajuato is the capital of the State of the same name, 
and lies in latitude 21° north, and longitude 1° 49' west of 
the City of Mexico. 

The city was founded by the Spaniards in 1554. It re- 
ceived the royal privilege of villa (town) in 1619, and that 
of ciudad (city) on the 8th of December, 1741. 

Places of Interest. — 1. The Church of La Parroquia. 2. The Mint. 
3. The Prison {El Car eel). 4. The Silver-mills {haciendas de heneficios). 
5. The Silver-mines. 6. Cerro (hill) de San Miguel. 7. The Paseo. 

In 1803 Humboldt states that the population within 
the city was 41,000, and in the adjacent mines of Marfil, 
Santa Ana, Santa Rosa, Valenciana, Ray as, and Mellado, it 
was 29,600, making a total of 70,600, of whom there were 
4,500 Indians. The same writer, in his Political Essay on 
New Spain, vol. iii, p, 138, ranks Guanajuato first in a 
list of the richest mining districts of Mexico. He remarks 
also that the vein of Guanajuato, from the end of the 
sixteenth century to the year 1800, produced /o^^r^fee^ hun- 
dred million {1,400,000,000) francs worth of silver, besides 
some gold. (See chapter on mines, in Part Eirst.) This 
vein is familiarly called the Veta Madre, and the mines on it 
began to be worked in 1558. 

For several years past these mines have not paid well, 
and it is believed by many persons that their mineral wealth 
has been exhausted. This impression, however, is not 
well founded, as the mines have in only two instances 
{Ray as and Valenciana) been explored to a depth of 1,500 

n 



266 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

feet. It is higlilj probable that rich bodies of ore will be 
met with by sinking the shafts deeper. 

There are several families of great wealth in Guana- 
juato, whose fortunes have been acquired in silver-mining. 
Humboldt states that the Count de Valenciana dug three 
pits in one mine at an expense of $1,700,000. The pro- 
prietors of these mines are unwilling to sell them except 
at a large profit, as this class of real estate is regarded as a 
good investment. 

At present but two English companies own mineral 
property in this region. One of them has an agency for 
the examination and purchase of Mexican mines. Thus 
far the Americans have not bought mines in this vicinity. 
Their mineral lands are mostly in the northern States of 
the Eepublic. 

The traveler will have no better chance of visiting a 
mine than in Guanajuato. Accordingly, he is advised to 
descend one of the many pits in the suburbs. The Ray as* 
and Nopal mines are both dry and well arranged. A car- 
riage may be driven to the latter, and within a short walk 
of the former. Strangers are treated with great civility, 
and no card of admission is necessary. 

The tourist will have an opportunity of seeing the cele- 
brated peons at work, with their primitive tools and meth- 
ods of mining. But he will be obliged to descend and 
ascend the massive stone steps to reach the vein, as no 
*' elevators " have thus far come into use. A fee of twenty- 
five cents will be sufficient to give the boy who accompanies 
the traveler through the mine. (See p. 81.) 

There are fifty mills for crushing and reducing silver- 
ores in Guanajuato. All of them are worked by horse- 
power, except the Far do mill, which is operated by steam. 
This mill has six stamps and twenty-two arrastras. The 

* The Rayas mine has three shafts, the deepest of w|iich is 1 ,640 feet. 
In April, 1883, two thousand peoiis were employeji, 



THE MEXICAN CENTRAL EAILWAY. 267 

ore is brought in sacks from tlie neighboring mines by pack- 
mules, and it is worked by the cold amalgamation or patio 
process, which was inyented in 1557 by Bartolome Medina, 
a Mexican miner. A description of it may be of interest ; 

The ore is first put in the mill {molino), which is a circular depression 
in the ground, and crushed by a revolving stone wheel covered with a thick 
cast-iron tire, and having a horizontal axis. The wheel is moved by two 
mules attached to a long shaft. There is a coarse iron sieve in the center 
of the mill, at the base of the vertical post in which the axle of the wheel 
is fastened. As the ore is crushed, a peon shovels it against the sieve, and 
the smaller pieces pass through an opening in the ground surrounding the 
post, and are collected in a vault below. The small particles of ore are 
now carried in litters to the arrastras, which are flat stones of porphyry, or 
some other hard rock, about three feet long, which revolve in a large tub. 

The tub is half full of water, and the arrastras grind the fragments 
of silver-ore into a fine powder in about twenty-four hours. Mules are used 
to give a rotary motion to the arrastras^ each animal working six hours. 
The machinery is run day and night. The next step is the conveyance of 
the pulverized ore, called lama, in a trough (hatea) to the patio or court-yard. 
'^he patio is paved with large flat stones, and the soft lama is allowed to 
accumulate to a depth of about two feet. This muddy mass is then mixed 
with magistral,"^ or blue vitriol, salt, and quicksilver, by scattering these sub- 
stances with the hand, and employing mules to walk about in the torta, as it 
is now termed. A laborer rolls up his breeches and stands in the torta^ 
holding the reins of three mules harnessed together, and drives the animals 
around him, changing his position every few minutes, in order to impreg- 
nate the powdered ore thoroughly with the several chemicals. 

The mules tramp through the torta for sevei;^ hours daily, and the time 
required to mix the mass properly varies from two to four weeks, accord- 
ing to the quality of the ore. 

The torta is then carried in litters to the lavaderos, or large cisterns, 
where it is washed and stirred by means of revolving sticks. The silvery 
mass being heavy, of course, settles at the bottom, and in two or three 
days the muddy water is drawn off. The amalgam, or pella, which has 
been formed, is now taken from the lavaderos to a sort of oven or depres- 
sion in the ground, covered with a huge metallic hood termed a capellina. 
A fire is built around the capellina, and the mercury is separated by distil- 
lation in about four days. The block of silver which remains is transported 
to the nearest mint, and worked into coin or sold. The law of Mexico com- 

* Native sulphide of iron and copper. 



268 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

pels the owners of haciendas de henefidos to send their silver to the mint. 
If the owner wishes to export the bullion, he must first obtain a certificate 
from the director of the establishment. 

N. B. — A picture of t\iQ patio process may be found on p. 198. 

The peons are searched^ when leaving the silyer-works, 
at the end of the day's work, as fragments of the precious 
metal are often concealed in their hair and clothing. (See 
p. 81.) 

The prison, or carcel, is worthy of a visit. It occupies 
an eminence in the heart of the city, near the causeway 
(calzada), and was formerly a castle. It was also the last 
stronghold of the Spaniards in Guanajuato during the great 
revolution. The castle was defended with fire-arms, while 
the Mexicans had merely primitive weapons, such as clubs, 
knives, missiles, etc. Finding the fortress impregnable, 
the latter approached the gate on all-fours, with flat stones 
on their backs to serve as armor, and set fire to it. The 
Spanish oppressors surrendered, and the natives decapitated 
four of the leaders, and hung their heads in the corners of 
the court-yard of the castle. 

The prison is a two-storied building, about 150 feet long 
and 75 feet wide. The inmates work at various trades. 

The traveler should ascend the Cerro de San Miguel, 
which lies south of the mint, and about twenty minutes' 
walk from the plaza, to obtain a connect idea of the location 
of Guanajuato. It will be seen that the city is built in 
a gorge, surrounded by rolling hills. The narrow streets 
are winding, and they have a cobble-stone pavement. The 
tourist is reminded of the towns in the Swiss Alps. Look- 
ing across the city, the observer has a fine view of the prin- 
cipal suburbs, the mines being chiefly on the northern and 
western sides of Guanajuato. 

There are some foreigners living in the city. They are 
mostly French, although a few Germans, Spaniards, Eng- 
lishmen, and Americans can be included in the number. 



TEE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. ' 269 

The inhabitants are disposed to introduce modern inven- 
tions, such as the electric light and telephone. A New York 
company has erected seyenty-five telejohones, many of which 
connect the mines with the houses and offices of the owners. 

The greater part of the population of Guanajuato con- 
sists of miners, who are an industrious and well-to-do class 
of people. On Sundays they dress up in their best clothes, 
and walk on t\\Q plaza d^^ndi paseo with their families. 

The tourist can spend a week in Guanajuato to advan- 
tage, during which an excursion may be made to Dolores 
Hidalgo, about 35 miles northeast of the city. (See p. 363.) 

3. From Guanajuato to Lagos, 115 kilometres, or '72 miles. 

Leaving Guanajuato, the stage-coach sets out from the 
door of the hotel, and connects with the train at Marjil, 5 
kilometres distant. The track has a downward grade nearly 
all the way to 8ilao, 18 kilometres farther. The railroad 
company has erected a large wooden station and freight- 
house at the latter point. This branch road carries large 
quantities of quicksilver, salt, and magistral to Marjil for 
the silver-reducing works. (See p. 267.) 

From Silao the road continues in a northwest course 
through the fertile plain, passing the station of Trinidad 
(402 kilometres), and reaches Leon (416 kilometres). The 
grade ascends slightly to a point just west of Trinidad, 
having an altitude of 5,963 feet, and then descends toward 
Leon. 

LEOK. 

Population, about 80,000 ; elevation, 5,862 feet. 

Hotels. — Comercio, de la Luz, Colon. 

Tramways run to the city, 1^ mile north of the station ; fare, 10 cents 
for each passenger. The towers of the cathedral and several domes of the 
churches are visible from the train. 

Leon is noted for its manufactories of saddles and 
leathern goods, and a quarry of building-stone is found near 



270 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

the town. It is said to haye had 166,000 inhabitants in 
1865. The residents claim that their city is second to the 
national capital in population. It is, however, greatly in- 
ferior to Guadalajara and Puebla in mercantile importance 
and in objects of interest. There is very little wealth in 
Leon. The city lies near the terminus of the rich cereal 
belt of the table-land, which is about 80 miles long, and 
from 21 to 26 miles wide, according to Humboldt. 

From Leo7i the railroad goes northwesterly, with an 
ascending grade toward Lagos. Passing the stations of 
Rincon (431 kilometres), Pedrito (448 kilometres), and 
Loma (462 kilometres), the train arrives at Lagos (475 kilo- 
metres). This city is 13|^ hours' journey from the capi- 
tal. On October 15, 1883, trains were running to Encar- 
nacio7i, 41 miles beyond Lagos. 

LAGOS. 

Population, 10,000; elevation, 6,153 feet. 

HoTE L. — Diligencias. 

Stage-coaches leave Lagos as follows : For Guadalajara^ 2 days dis- 
tant ; fare, $14. For Zacatecas, 2 days distant ; fare, $10. For San Luis 
Potosi, 2 days distant ; fare, $10. A special diligence for San Luis Potosi 
in 16 hours ; fare, $12.50. 

4. From Lagos to Guadalajara and San Blas. 

Guadalajara lies about 130 miles west-southwest of 
Lagos. The road is a rough one, and two days are required 
for the trip. The Mexican Central Railway Company will 
extend its line over this route to Guadalajara, and thence 
to San Bias. (Seep. 272.) 

GUADALAJARA. 

Population, 78,600 in 1879; elevation, 5,052 feet. 

Hotels. — Nacional, Hidalgo, Liligencias, and Nuevo Mundo. 

The city is situated in latitude 20° 41' north, and on 
the west bank of the Rio de Santiago (the largest river in 



TEE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY, 271 

Mexico except the Rio Grande), It is the capital of the 
State of Jalisco. The houses are well built, and the streets 
are wide and laid out at right angles. Some travelers con- 
sider Guadalajara to be the finest city in the Eepublic. 
Lying far in the interior, and remote from the railway, it 
has not been affected by foreign influence. 

Places of Interest. — 1. The Cathedral and Sagrario. 2. The Gov- 
ernment Palace. 3. The Bishop's Palace. 4. The Mint. 5. The City Hall. 
6. The Academy of Fine Arts. 1. The Flaza de Armas. 8. The Alameda, 



Plaza de Armas, Guadalajara. 

The first three buildings are situated on the Plaza de 
Armas, The Cathedral was completed in 1618, and is one 
of the oldest in Mexico. The cupolas of both towers were 
destroyed by the great earthquake of May 31, 1818. 

The city can boast of fourteen public squares, a univer- 
sity, and an academy of fine arts — the only one in the Ee^ 
public except that of San Carlos at the capital. Much 
glazed pottery is made here ; it is quite ornamental, and 



272 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

may be found in the shops at the City of Mexico. There are 
seyeral woolen and cotton manufactories in Guadalajara, 

Opinions are divided as to whether this city or PueUa 
should rank next to Mexico in wealth and commercial im- 
portance. 

Guadalajara lies in a fertile region. The cereals, fruits, 
and vegetables grow in abundance. Some farms are said to 
yield as much as forty bushels of Indian corn to the acre. 

The following table of distances will be found useful : 

From Guadalajara to the City of Mexico via Lagos 424 miles. 

" " Tepic 258 " 

« " San Bias.. ' 300 " 

" « Colima 142 " 

" " Manzanillo 211 " 

" " MoreHa , 191 " 

" " Aguascalientes 149 " 

An excursion may be made to the Lake of Chapalaf 
about 40 miles distant. This lake is the largest in Mexico, 
haying an area of 415 square miles. (See p. 30.) There 
are several islands in it, on one of which ruins have been 
found. A small American steamboat makes a tour round 
the lake daily. The depth of Lake Cliapala has not yet 
been ascertained. 

Diligences run from Guadalajara to San Bias, 300 miles 
distant, via the villages of Amatita7i, Tequila, Ixtlan, Te- 
titan, Zapotlan, and Tepic, The latter place is a manu- 
facturing town of 20,000 inhabitants. It is noted for pro- 
ducing a fine quality of cigars. The elevation of Tepic is 
3,050 feet. The Mexican Central Railway Company will 
build a branch line from Guadalajara toward San Bias, 
which will run parallel to the stage route, or nearly so. 
It is expected that this branch will be finished in 1886. 

San Bias has a population of 3,500. The Pacific Mail 
steamers touch at this port once a month. The distance 
to San Francisco is 1,519 miles, and the fare is 



TEE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. 



273 



The climate of 
San Bias is hot 
and very unhealthy. 
There are dense for- 
ests of tropical fruit- 
trees and plants in 
the vicinity. 

6. Erom Lagos to Zaca- 
TECAs; time, 2 days; 
distance, 141 miles by 
stage-road. 

The diligence is 
run every day from 
Lagos northward. 
The road leads over 
a fertile plain, where 
the cereals are raised. 
Soon tTie country 

becomes rolling, and cultivation decreases in going toward 
Aguascalientes. There is a very sparse population in this 
region. Passing several hamlets, the diligence enters the 
city of Aguascalientes, 58 miles from Lagos. (See p. 270.) 




Making Tequila. 



AGUASCALIENTES. 

Population, 35,000 ; elevation, 6,261 feet, according to Burkart. 

Hotels. — Diligencias and Nacional. 

Baths on the Alameda^ which is reached by horse-cars ; hot baths at 
20 and 25 cents. 

Places of Interest. — The Cathedral, Plaza de Armas, and the Paseo. 
The latter is one of the finest parks in the country. The main line of the 
Mexican Central Railway will be completed to the city during the current 
year, and the branch from Tampico to San Luis Potosl will probably be 
extended to this point. ( Vide p. 238.) 

Leaving Aguascalientes, the stage-road traverses a flat 
country that is barren for the most part. Some Indian 



274 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

corn is cultivated along the route, and a few Tillages are 
passed, the j)rincipal one being Rincon de Roma. The 
scenery is uninteresting, and the road is good and com- 
paratively level. 

Some interesting ruins of Indian architecture are found 
at Quemada, about 30 miles southwest of Zacatecas, and 
2|- miles north of the village of La Quemada, at an eleva- 
tion of 7,406 feet above the sea-level. 

The remains are situated on a rocky eminence that 
rises abruptly from the plain. It is called ^'El Cerro de 
los Edificios." The summit is reached by a causeway. An 
area of six acres has been inclosed by a broad wall, forming 
a sort of citadel. This barrier surrounds a quadrangle 240 
X 200 feet, which to the east is sheltered by a strong wall 
of unhewn stones, eight feet in thickness and eighteen in 
height. A raised terrace of twenty feet in width passes 
round the northern and eastern sides of this space, and on 
its southeast corner is yet standing a round pillar of rough 
stones of the same height as the wall, and nineteen feet in 
circumference. 

There are vestiges of five other pillars on the eastern, 
and four on the northern terrace. There is another quad- 
rangle surrounded by perfect walls of the same height and 
thickness as the former one, and measuring 134 x 137 feet. 
This space contains fourteen columns of equal dimensions 
with that of the adjacent inclosure. They were made of 
clay mixed with straw. 

There is a flat-topped pyramid of hewn stown in one of 
the quadrangles. Two small pyramids may also be seen. 
One chamber has an irregular structure 7x5 feet near the 
center. It was probably an altar, and the room may have 
been used as the Hall of Sacrifice or Assembly. These 
ruins are probably the work of the Aztecs. 

At Guadalupe, 4 miles from Zacatecas, the land rises 
rapidly. The former town is seen in the distance several 



THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. 275 







5$ 



jniles before it is reached. It contains many furnaces and 
silver-mills, in which the ores from Zacatecas are worked. 
On account of the presence of sulphur, the ores are gener- 



2T6 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

ally roasted before being treated in the crushing and re- 
ducing-mills. 

The stage-coach enters a canon at Guadalupe, and, 
traveling up a heavy gi'ade, the old mining settlement of 
Zacatecas is reached. The latter place is 83 miles from 
Aguascalientes, and the time required to make the dis- 
tance is 13 hours. 

ZACATECAS. 

Population, 46,000, including Guadalupe; elevation, 9,012 feet,* accord- 
ing to Burkart. 

Hotels. — Zacatecdno^ Del Comercio, Naeiotial, and Del Progreso. 
Baths, in the Plaza de Armas. 
Post-Office in the Calle de la Moneda. 
Horse-Cars to Guadalupe (see time-table). 

Zacatecas is one of the oldest mining towns in Mexico. 
It received the title of city in 1585 from Philip II. The 
streets are well paved and somewhat tortuous, although 
not as much so as in Guanajuato. The city is not behind 
the age, even though 140 miles from a railway terminus, 
and a much greater distance from any seaport. The elec- 
tric light shines on the plaza, and a number of telephones 
are in use. Zacatecas lies in an arid and mountainous 
region, with an inclement climate. 

Places OF Interest. — 1. The Cathedral ; observe carvings on the fa9ade. 
2. The Palace. 3. The Mint. 4. The Bufa, a hill north of the city. 5. 
The silver-mines. 

There are fourteen churches of minor importance and a 
Protestant chapel. Some of them are ornamented with ar- 
tistic gilt wooden carvings and old paintings, that were 
transported to the city at enormous expense. 

The tourist should ascend the Bufa, about 500 feet 
above the plaza, for a view of the city and its environs. 

There is a small chapel on the summit, known as the 

* This is too high an estimate ; 8,000 feet would be more correct. 



THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. 2Y7 

Capilla de la Bufa. It is worthy of remark that seyeral 
kinds of igneous rocks occur near each other on this moun- 
tain. The observer will see that the city is built in a valley, 
surrounded by rolling hills, which contain numerous mines. 
He stands on top of a ridge that rises from the great table- 
land. To the westward lies the spur of the Sierra Madre, 
which extends nearly to the Pacific coast. There are many 
low ridges running north and south, that are situated on 
the eastern and northern sides of the Zacatecas range. The 
country is very barren, scarcely a particle of vegetation 
being visible. The broad plain below has an elevation of 
about 7,000 feet, and there are nine small lakes of salt and 
carbonate of soda in this plain, a few miles from Zacatecas, 
This salt is transported to Guadalupe for use in the silver- 
mills. The geological formation of this district has been 
compared by Humboldt to that of Switzerland. 

The mines next demand attention. In mineral wealth 
Zacatecas is the richest State in Mexico. The district, 
however, which includes the city, does not rank first. In 
1804 Humboldt placed Zacatecas third in a list of the 
principal mining towns. 

Guanajuato ranks first and Catorce second in the pro- 
duction of the precious metals. The Veta Grande, or great 
vein, is next in magnitude to the Veta Madre of Guana- 
juato. Its average width is about 25 feet, and in a few 
places it has a breadth of 75 feet, although the entire mass 
is not metalliferous. The mines of Zacatecas began to 
be worked in 1548. Up to the year 1732 they are said 
to have produced the enormous sum of 1832,232,880, on 
which a tax of $46,523,000 was paid to the Spanish treas- 
ury. 

About 1728 the mines of Zacatecas yielded $1,800,000 
annually, which was then estimated as one fifth of all the 
silver coined in Mexico. 

During the "War of Independence, the amount of pre- 



278 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

cious metal extracted greatly diminished ; and at the pres- 
ent time (1883) these mines are not doing well. It remains 
to be seen whether their wealth is exhausted, or whether 
new bodies of ore will yet be found in paying quantities. 

There are a dozen mines within a half-hour's walk of 
the principal hotels, and which can readily be visited. It 
is best to go in the morning. A series of ladders is used 
in most of them, instead of the massive stone steps as in 
Guanajuato. The largest mine is the San Rafael, and the 
oldest one bears the name of the famous Cortes. The latter 
is about two miles north of the city. An English company 
owns the Clerigos mine. Two other mines in the vicinity 
are also owned- by Englishmen. There is one American 
company in Zacatecas, called the Chicago and Mexican Syn- 
dicate, that controls several mines in this district. 

Stage-coaches run from Zacatecas as follows : 

To San Luis Potosi, distance 156 miles; fare, $12.00. 

" Jerez, " 40 " " 1.50. 

" Fresnillo, " 37 " " 1.00. 

" Dtirango, " 234 " " 14.00. 

A well-known Mexican, named Sada, has run a line of 
ambulances, called **the money-train," from Zacatecas to 
Monterey for many years. Before the Mexican National 
Eailway was built, Sada drove his wagons as far as the fron- 
tier, at Laredo. The time required to reach Monterey is 
six days and a half, and the fare is $40, including board 
and lodging on the journey. A dozen mounted guards ac- 
company the train. Bullion and silver coin are carried 
chiefly, although packages and personal baggage will also 
be forwarded. The route to Monterey traverses an arid 
and barren region, having a gently undulating surface, and 
very little vegetation, except the various species of cactus. 
The road goes via the hacienda de Cedres and Saltillo. 

This hacienda is the only redeeming feature of the trip, 
and it is one of the largest in Northern Mexico. There are 



THE MEXICAN' CENTRAL RAILWAY. 279 

some silver-mines on it, as well as many horses, cattle, and 
sheep. 

The train of ambulances starts about daybreak, and 
travels till noon ; then a long rest is taken, after which the 
wagons continue the Journey till sundown. Many extra 
mules follow the train, and, when one of the animals grows 
tired, a change is at once made. 

The Mexican Central Railway will probably be completed 
to Zacatecas in Decomber, 1883, and will then be extended 
toward Durango as rapidly as possible. 

The country north of Zacatecas does not present any obstacles to the 
construction of a railroad. The grading will be easy all the way to the 
border. The plain is apparently level for hundreds of miles. The engi- 
neers report that the maximum grade from El Paso to Fresnillo will be six 
tenths per hundred feet. 

Humboldt has stated in the Cosmos^ vol. v, p. 380, that the great table- 
land from Mexico to Santa Fe^ a difference of parallels of fully 16° 20' 
(equal to about 1,200 miles), can be traversed in four-wheeled carriages with- 
out the advantage of artificially prepared roads. ( Vide p. 28.) On these 
facts it may be assumed that lack of capital will only prevent the Mexican 
Central Railway Company from completing its line at an early day. The 
railroad will pass between the towns of Villa de Coz and Fresnillo. There 
is a large deposit of sulphate of soda at the former, and rich mines of 
silver are- found at the latter, the principal of which are in the Cerro del 
Proano. The district of Fresnillo was discovered in 1569, and the city has 
a population of 15,000. The elevation is 7,244 feet. 

From this point the line will run nearly due north, through the town 
of Somhrerete, which contains mines of gold, silver, lead, copper, and iron. 
Thence the road will pass near Durango, where the famous iron mountain, 
the Cerro del 3Iercado, is found. The elevation of Durango is 6,847 feet, 
-according to Humboldt. This town is the capital of the State of the same 
name, and lies in latitude 24° 2' north. It has a population of 2'7,119. 

An American mining company has recently been organized to work the 
iron deposits of the Cerro del Mercado. 

Scorpions (alacranes) are common in Durango. They are often found 
in abandoned mines. As their sting is sometimes fatal, travelers should 
be careful to avoid these insects. 

Owing to the formation of the table-land, the grade of the Mexican 
Central Railway will be slightly downward north of Durango. 



280 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

A railroad is in course of construction from Zacatecas to San Luis Po- 
tosi. The concession is granted to the Mexican National Railway Company. 
The intervening region is arid and very barren for the most part. A few 
cattle and sheep are raised along the proposed route, and the country is 
gently rolling. OJo Caliente, about 25 miles from Zacatecas, is a town of 
some importance. It has a good hotel, adjoining a fine grove of trees. 

From this place to Las Salinas the country is covered with nopal, tazct- 
hillo, huisacJii, and dagger-plant, interspersed with a little mesquite. 

There are several salt lagoons at Las Salinas, as the name suggests, and 
the owner, Senor Erazos, has built a stately residence, which is surrounded 
by a stone wall and a deep moat. A draw-bridge across the moat is raised 
at night, reminding the traveler of the baronial castles of the middle ages. 

The country between this town and San Luis Potosi is rolling, and a 
portion of it is adapted to grazing. Some maguey grows along the route. 

(For description of San Luis Potosi, see pp. 23T-240,) 

Route 11. 

1. El Paso to Cliiliualiua. 

2. Chihuahua to Jimenez. 

1. From El Paso to Chihuahfa. Distance, 225 miles ; time, 14 hours. 
One passenger-train daily. 

EL PASO, TEXAS. 

Population, 3,000 ; elevation, 3,600 feet. 
Hotels. — Central, Windsor, and Pierson House. 

El Paso is a great railway center, and is destined to 
grow rapidly within a brief period. Eeal estate is becoming 
higher in price, and the rents for all classes of buildings are 
said to be enormous. There is a union depot occupied by 
the Southern Pacific and the Missouri Pacific Railways. 
The Atchison, Topeha and Santa Fe Eailroad Company has 
also a depot. The last-named line makes connection with 
the Mexican Central Eailway, and it is the most desirable 
route from the eastern and central cities of the United 
States to Mexico in the summer season, which will hence- 
forth be the time when most travelers will approach Mexico 
by land. 



THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY. 



281 



Leaying El Paso, the train crosses a six-pile bent trestle- 
bridge over the Rio Grande^ which connects this town 
with Paso del Norte. An iron bridge will soon take the 
place of the trestle-work. There is besides a small-pile 




(Jh/wrch and Plaza^ El Paso. 

trestle-bridge, owned and operated by the horse-car com- 
pany, which is also used as a highway for wagons and pe- 
destrians. 

The population of Paso del I^oete is about 7,000". 
(Hotel Gallardo.) 

This town is the terminus of the Mexican Central Eail- 

* The width of the Rio Grande varies from 300 to 600 feet in the 
vicinity of El Paso. 



282 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 



way, although the company's trains are run across the riyer 
to El Paso. 

Leaving Paso del Norte, the following stations are passed : 



Distance 
FKOM Paso 
Del Nokte. 



Miles. 

30 
74 
96 
139 
164 
181 
192 
210 
224 



Stations. 



Pckso Del Norte. 
Samalayuca . . . , 

San Jose , 

Ojo Caliente. . . . 

Gallego 

Laguna , 

Eiicinillas , 

Sauz 

Sacramento. . . . 
Chihuahua 



Elevations. 



Feet. 

3,600 

4,300 

3,950 

4,090 

5,360 

5,060 
5,168 

4,690 



The country between Paso del Norte and Chihuahua is 
well adapted to grazing. There are several large mining 
districts on either side of the line of the railroad, at dis- 
tances varying from ten to a hundred miles. The mines 
are chiefly of silver, although there is an extensive deposit 
of iron-ore near Ojo Caliente. 

About 100 miles west of Samalayuca lies the old presidio 
or military post of Janos, It is 35 miles north of the ruined 
town of Casas Grandes, which is about half a mile distant 
from the modern town of the same name. 

The remains lie adjacent to a fertile valley about two 
miles in width. 

They are built of adohe, and are called the ^^ Casas de 
Mo7itezu7na." They face the cardinal points, and consist 
of fallen and erect walls. The latter are from five to thirty 
feet in height. The edifices resemble the PueNo dwellings 
of Arizona and New Mexico. Fragments of pottery have 
been found in them. The original buildings are supposed 
to have had three stories and a roof, with stairs outside, 
probably of wood. 

Passengers on the Chihuahua division of this road gen.- 



iiii'iiiife^^ 



;■!: , :ll 



In' 




284 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 



erally travel either in the first or second class cars, the 
proportion being evenly divided. There is but little third- 
class travel. The freight carried by this company consists 
of lumber, coal, machinery, live-stock, and general mer- 
chandise. Bullion is transported in considerable quanti- 
ties by Wells, Fargo and Company's Express. 




Ca&is Grandes^ CMTiuahua, 



CHIHUAHUA. 

Population, 1*7,500, of which about 1,500 are foreigners ; elevation, 
4,690 feet. 

Hotels. — American and National. 

Baths, on the upper Alameda. 

Telegraph and Post-Office, on the m^m plaza. 

Bankers, Messrs F. MacManus & Sons. 

Cliihualiua, the capital of the State of the same name, 
lies on a broad plain at the base of the Sierra Madre, in 
north latitude 28° 35' 10". 

The city was settled toward the close of the seventeenth 
century by some adventurers, for the purpose of working 
the rich silver-mines in the vicinity. In 1833 the popu- 
lation was 10,600, and in 1853 it was 12,000. 

Places of Interest. — 1. The Churches of La Parrdquia (or Cathedral), 
Guadalupe, and San Felipe. 2. The College of the Jesuits, in the rear of 



TEE MEXICAN- CENTRAL RAILWAY. 285 

which the great revolutionary leaders Hidalgo and Allende were beheaded. 
3, The Palace. 4. The Tribunal of Justice. 5. The Mint. 6. The Alhon- 
diga^ or granary. Y. The Aqueduct (6,068 yards long). 

The Cathedral, or parochial church, stands on the plaza. 
It is built of cut stone of a yery light color, and has two 
towers and a dome. The exterior is yery imposing. The 
church cost $800,000. It was erected from a fund raised 
by leyying a tax of one real on eyery mark * of silyer ob- 
tained from the mines of Santa Eulalia, fifteen miles dis- 
tant. 

Fruit, yegetables, and the cereals grow in the enyirons 
of the city. There is fine grazing-land in Chihuahua. In 
1871 the American consul reported that there were 800,000 
sheep and 250,000 cattle in the State. 

The climate is salubrious, the temperature ranging from 
16° to 94° Fahr. May, June, and July are the warmest 
months, but the nights are always cool and pleasant during 
this season. The rains begin about the 25th of June, and 
last till the middle of October. 

2. From Chihuahua to Jimenez, 146*3 miles. 

On June 1, 1883, this section of the road was finished, 
and trains began to run about August 1st. 

Leaying Chihuahua, we pass through a grazing coun- 
try for about 50 miles, when the yalley of the San Pedro 
Eiyer is reached. Maize, wheat, and cotton are grown 
here. Proceeding southward, we €nter the yalley of the 
Conchos f Eiyer, near the station of Santa Rosalia. 

Much wheat and Indian corn are produced in this 
yicinity, the chief part of which is consumed in the State 
of Chihuahua among the yarious mining towns. Fifty 
miles south of Santa Rosalia we reach the yalley of the 

* Eight dollars. 

f This river flows northerly and empties into the Rio Grande near the 
town of Presidio del Norte. 



286 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 




Aqueduct and CTiurch of Santa Bita^ Chihuahua. 



Florido Eiyer, where the cereals and some cotton are culti- 
vated. The rich mining districts of Parral and Santa Bar- 
lara lie about 50 miles to the southwest. We soon arrive 
at Jimenez, a town of about 8,000 inhabitants, which is 
situated near the Rio Florido. 

The stations on this division are : 



Miles from 
Chihuahua. 

Chihuahua 0*0 

Majmla 14*4 

Horcasitas 28*3 

Temporary siding Xo. 1 83'7 

Bachimba 39"1 

Temporary siding Xo. 2 46'7 

Ortiz 54-2 

Las Dclicias 58*7 



Miles fh)ra 
Chihuahua. 

Saudllo 68-7 

Concho 78-4 

La Cruz 911 

Santa Bosalia 101"0 

Bustamantc 110"8 

Florido 122-7 

La Beforma 133*6 

Jimenez 146*3 



THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY, 



287 



On October 15, 1883, the railway was in operation as 
far as Villa Lerdo, 515 miles south of Paso del Norte. 
The stations beyond Jimenez are : 



Miles from 
Chihualiua. 

Corralitos 167 

Zavalza 200 

Laez 212 

Yermo 223 



Miles from 
Chihuahua. 

Conejos 23'7 

Maphni 266 

Villa Lerdo 291 



The elevation of Villa Lerdo is 3,900 feet. It lies in 
the so-called *^laguna country." 

The maximum grade for 600 miles south of El Paso 
will be but 37 feet to the mile. {Vide p. 279.) There are 
only two important bridges, those at the 8an Pedro and 
Conchos Eiyers, which are built of iron, with spans of 150 




La Punta de Sauz Cienega. 



288 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

feet, and with stone piers. Each bridge is 1,000 feet in 
length. There are no tunnels on the line. The work on 
the railway is progressing at the rate of a mile and a half 
per day. 

It is expected that the Chihuahua division will connect 
with the southern terminus of the line about July 1, 1884. 
At present 2,000 men are at work on the division between 
Paso del Norte and Durango, 

The following is a list of the various ranches along the 
line of the railway, as far as the present terminus — viz., 
Villa Lerdo : 

Samalayuca, 1,500 head of cattle ; San Jose, 3,000 head of cattle ; Cor- 
ralitos, 10,000 cattle and 30,000 sheep ; Santa Domingo, 3,000 head of 
cattle; Ojo Caliente, 1,000 head of cattle; Carmen, 3,000 head of cattle 
and 30,000 sheep; Gallego, 3,000 head of cattle; San Lorenzo, 60,000 
sheep ; Encinillas, 5,000 head of cattle ; Agua Nueva, 4,000 cattle and 
6,000 sheep ; Torreon, 4,000 cattle and 10,000 sheep ; Satiz, 5,000 cattle ; 
Sacramento, 2,000 cattle; Labor, 1,500 cattle; Tabolopu, fanning, and 1,000 
cattle; Rancho de Avilos, 1,500 cattle; Mapula, 5,000 cattle; Rancho 
Viego, 5,000 cattle ; Bachimba^ 4,000 cattle ; Dolores, farming ; Saucillo, 
cotton and grain ; Santa Gertrudes, Y,000 cattle ; San Luis, 2,500 cattle ; 
La Cruz, farming ; Santa Rosalia, hot sulphur springs, cotton and grain ; 
Enremoda,Z,000 cattle; Jimenez, farming; Corralles, 2,000 cattle; Gen- 
eral Grande, not stocked ; Cadena, 2,000 cattle ; San Isidro, 2,000 cattle 
and 40,000 sheep ; Memhrea, 50,000 sheep ; Villa Lerdo, cotton, grain, and 
sugar-cane. 

We may add that the completion of the Mexican Cen- 
tral Eailway will give a great impetus to the development 
of the immense mineral wealth of Chihuahua, which con- 
tains so many mining districts that an elaborate description 
of them would require a volume. The following is a list 
of the principal mining towns in the State, classified ac- 
cording to their richness : Batopilas,'*' Parral, Santa Eu- 
lalia, Jesus Maria, Cusihuiriachic, Morelos, Guadalupe y 

* Americans have invested largely in the gold-mines of Batopilas and 
Parral. 



THE MEXICAN CENTRAL RAILWAY, 



289 



Calvo, Uriqui, Umachic, Corralitos, Zapuri, Topago, and 
Umapa. 

American miners have been introduced to some extent 
in several of the above-named districts, and Chinamen are 
employed by an English mining company at Pinos Altos. 
Peon labor is, however, cheaper in the present condition of 
the country. It is highly probable that European miners 
will emigrate to Mexico within a few years. They will 
receive much higher wages here than at home, and the cost 
of living will always be comparatively low. 




^<<if^^/'Jl-Xs:- 



CMricaJiui Mountains. 



13 



SECTION YI. 
The International and Interoceanic Railway. 




Scene in NortJiern Mexico. 



(Compare with 
chapter on railroads.) 

The full name of this 
line is the Mexican, Orien- 
tal, Interoceanic, and In- 
ternational Eailwaj, although it is generally called the 
International and Interoceanic Eailway. It is popularly 
known as "Jay Gould's road." So little work has been 
done thus far that the entire region which lies along the 
route can only be yisited by wagon or on horseback. 

The charter was granted on June 7, 1881. In May, 
1883, this railway and the Mexican Southern Eailroad, of 
which General U. S. Grant is president, were consolidated 
under one management. The two roads will henceforth be 
known as the Mexican Southern Railroad. 



SECTIOl!^ YII. 

The Mexican Southern Eailroad. 

(See chapter on railroads.) 

The original concession for bnilding the Mexican South- 
ern Railroad was granted on May 26, 1881. 

We will describe the route of the former International 
and Interoceanic Eailway before sketching the line of the 
Mexican Southern proper. 

The first-named road was chartered to run from New 
Laredo, on the Rio Grande, to the City of Mexico, a dis- 
tance of 680 miles. 

The following is a condensed itinerary of this route : 

A station has been erected at New Laredo, and on Sep- 
tember 1, 1883, about 100 miles of road had been graded, 
but only a half-mile of track had been completed. 

From New Laredo the route follows the course of the 
Rio Grande to Mier via Guerrero. 

Leaving Mier, the road goes southward to China. The 
company has the option of constructing a branch to Mata- 
moros, 100 miles distant from Mier. There are wagon- 
roads from China to Monterey (60 miles), and also to 
Matamoros (90 miles). The line passes to the eastward of 
Teran and Linares, running almost due south from China 
to Victoria, 270 miles from New Laredo. 

There is not much cultivation along this division of the 
railway till Victoria is reached. Here many kinds of fruit 
and sugar-cane, as well as wheat and Indian corn, are grown. 
Victoria lies on the border of the tierra tem^lada. It i§ 



292 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 



the capital of the State of Tamaulipas, and has a popula- 
tion of 8,000. The best hotel is the Hidalgo. This town 
is 271 miles from San Luis Potosi via Tula. 

From Victoria the line will have a southeasterly direc- 
tion, and it will cross the Rio Pcmuco, near the village of 
Tanjuco, about 45 miles from its mouth. A good wagon- 
road goes from Victoria to Tancasneque, on the Rio Ta- 




Victoria and Tula Pass. 



mesi. A small steamer runs from the latter place down the 
river to Tampico. The scenery along this route is beautiful. 
The company has the option of building branch roads 
to the port of Tampico and to 8an Luis Potosi, but the 
Mexican Central Eailway Company is pushing the comple- 
tion of its line from this port westward to San Luis Potosi, 
and has now (October, 1883) about ninety miles of track 



THE MEXICAN' SOUTHERN RAILROAD. 293 

finished. It is not probable, therefore, that the Mexican 
Southern will compete with the latter company. 

Leaving the Pdnuco Eiyer, the route will be southeast- 
erly toward Tulancingo, and thence south west ward to the 
City of Mexico. 

The line will be easy to construct as far as Victoria. 
South of this station it will extend through the mountains 
on the eastern edge of the great table-land, and will require 
rather heavy grades * and some tunneling. This division 
will traverse the Huasteca country, which is one of the 
richest portions of the Eepublic both in agricultural prod- 
ucts and in mineral deposits. 

The proximity of this railway to the seaboard should 
also be considered. This company has the choice of ex- 
tending branch roads to Tuxpan and Vera Cruz. This 
scheme would, of course, be a formidable 023position line 
to the Mexican Railway Company. 

Judging from the topography of the country, the new 
American road will be easier to construct than the Mexican 
Railway. 

The southern division may be described as follows : 

Leaving the City of Mexico, the Mexican Southern 
Railroad will run parallel with the Mexican Railway (as, 
in the terms of the charter, it is not allowed to cross it) to 
Irolo (45 miles). This division of the road will compete 
with the English line in the transportation ot pulque to the 
capital. It is said that the Mexican Railway Company 
makes a net profit of $1,000 a day on the '^ pulque" train. 

From Irolo the track will be continued over a level 
country to Puebla (111 miles). Thence the line will run 
southeasterly to Tehuacan (182 miles). A tramway leads 
from this station to Esperanza, 31 miles distant. {Vide 
Section II. ) 

The road will go south from Tehuacan, following the 

* Two-and-a-half per-cent grades. 



294 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 



course of the Rio Salado for seyeral leagues to Arenal, 
where the Salado and Cuicatlan Eiyers unite and form the 
Rio Quiotepec. 

Arenal is 237 miles from the capital. Three bridges 
will be erected in the vicinity. A branch line is in process 
of construction from Anton Lizardo, on the Gulf of Mex- 




Scene in Mexico. 



ico, toward Arenal, ma Amapa and Tuxtepec. Anton Li- 
zardo is 142 miles from Arenal junction. The former town 
is the only good port on the Gulf coast. The harbor has 
recently been improved. The eastern division of the Mex- 
ican Southern Kailroad will be extended to Vera Cruz, 23 
miles distant. The merchants in that city are very jealous 
of this railway. They foresee that it will eventually divert 
the foreign commerce to Anton Lizardo. 

But little artificial grading will be required on the east- 
ern division, and the heaviest grade, according to the sur- 
veys, is seventy-two feet to the mile. 



TEE MEXICAN 80UTSERN RAILROAD. 295 

From Arenal the main line will run almost due south- 
ward along the Rio Cuicatlan through a well-timbered 
region to Sedas (301 miles). Thence it will go to Oaxaca 
(350 miles). 

The highest point of the route is 5,500 feet above the 
sea-leyel. 

OAXACA. 

Population, 26,228 ; elevation, about 5,000 feet.* 
Hotels. — Nacional^ De la Paz. 

The city is the capital of the State of the same name, 
and it has recently receiyed the surname of the illustrious 
Juarez, f Sefior Busto, the well-known statistician, calls it 
Oaxaca de Juarez. The word Oaxaca was formerly spelled 
Guaxaca, being derived from the Mexican name of the city 
and valley of Huaxyacac in the Tzapotec country. After 
the Conquest, Cortes received the title of Marquis of the 
Valley of Oaxaca, and some of his descendants are still 
living in this State, under the family name of Monteleone. 

Places of Interest. — The Cathedral and the Palace. 

Sugar-cane, maize, wheat, and barley grow in the vicin- 
ity. 

The ruined palaces of Mitla lie about 25 miles east of 
Oaxaca. These ruins, except the teocallis, are the most 
accessible in Mexico. They are described in Chapter Y in 
Part First. 

Leaving the city of Oaxaca, the railway will run south- 
ward with a descending grade to Amatlan, Ejutla, and 
Miahuatlan. The latter town is about 65 miles distant 
from Puerto Angel, the principal port of the State. The 
Pacific Mail steamers touch there. It is also about 420 
miles distant from the national ca23ital. 

From Miahuatlan the road takes an easterly course over 

* Estimated by the author. 

f Juarez was a pure-blooded Tzapotec Indian from Oaxaca. 



296 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

a rugged country to the town of Tehuantepec (523 miles), 
which is only ten miles from La Ventosa, on the coast. 
The Pacific Mail steamers stop at the adjoining port of 
Salina Cruz. This place has a good harbor, and will be- 
come the terminus of the projected railway across the isth- 
mus. The Mexican Southern Eailroad will make connec- 
tion with the Tehuantepec Eailroad at the station of that 
name. The former road will be extended eastward from 
the town of Tehuantepec (population, 12,000) to Tonald on 
the coast. (See Section IX.) 

Tonald lies in the State of Chiapas, and the steamers of 
the Pacific Mail Steamship Company call at this port once 
a month, the distances to San Fra7icisco and Panama being 
2,204 miles and 1,223 miles, respectiyely. 

Leaying Tonald, the main line bifurcates. One branch 
runs northeasterly to San Cristolal, and the other extends 
to Tapacliula,'^ and thence will probably be continued to 
the city of Guatemala. 

The region traversed by the southern division of the main 
line of this railway lies mostly in the States of Vera Cruz, 
Oaxaca, and Chiapas. It is very rich in mineral deposits 
and in agricultural products. The climate is salubrious, 
and the vegetation is luxuriant along the greater part of 
the route. The State of Oaxaca contains valuable mines 
of gold, silver, iron, copper, and mercury. The cereals, 
brown beans, and tobacco, are grown in abundance. This 
State is also noted for yielding a large supply of cochineal. 
Petroleum is found near Puerto Angel. The States of 
Vera Cruz and Chiapas are rich in coffee, sugar-cane, co- 
coa, tobacco, indigo, vanilla, and India-rubber. We may 
add that the former State ranks foremost in Mexico in the 
production of coffee and tobacco, and second in that of 
sugar. 

* Sefior M. Romero, the Mexican Minister at "Washington, has resided 
for many years at T'apacliula. 



THE MEXICAN SOUTHERN RAILROAD. 



297 



Several yery wealthy and influential capitalists are stock- 
holders in the Mexican Southern Eailroad Company. It is 
now belieyed that the main line will be completed at an 
early day. Senor Matias Romero, in an article on Rail- 
ways in Mexico, published in the International Review 
for JS^ovember, 1882, states that the inhabitants of Oaxaca 
are very anxious to have this road finished as soon as pos- 
sible ; and that the merchants threaten to withdraw their 
capital from the State if the construction of the railway is 
delayed much longer. 




SECTION" yiii. 

The Morelos Railway (Ferrocarril de Morelos). 

(See chapter on railroads. ) 

This line has two divisions — one goes to Texcoco and 
Irolo, and the other to Cuautla, Both are the same as far 
as Los Reyes, 17 kilometres from the capital. 

1. From Mexico to Cuautla ; distance, 138 kilometres, or 85^ miles ; time, 
nine hours. Two passenger-trains daily. Fares, first class, $2.70 ; sec- 
ond class, $1.38. 

Leaving the station of San Lazaro, the track goes east- 
erly past the Lake of Texcoco to Los Reyes. The old stage- 
road lies near the railroad, and runs parallel with it for 
several miles. The railway now forks, the northeastern 
branch being bnilt to Texcoco (42 kilometres), and thence 
toward Irolo. 

Texcoco is famous in the history of old Mexico, or Ana- 
liuac. {Restaurante Universo.) It was the chief city next 
to Tenochtitlan. Many of the ancient kings lived here, 
and since the Conquest it has become an important place 
for the manufacture of woolen and cotton goods. The 
ruins of three teocallis are still visible. But to give a com- 
plete history of Texcoco, with its relations to the Aztecs, 
Toltecs, and their predecessors, would require a volume, so 
we will not dwell upon it here. This branch extends to 
Lrolo, in the midst of a maguey region, and is to some de- 
gree an opposition line to the Mexican Railway in the trans- 
portation of pulque to the capital. It is worthy of remark 



THE M0REL08 EAILWAT. 299 

that trains of a dozen cars on the former road are often 
loaded with pulque in barrels between the stations of Irolo 
and Mexico, a distance of 77 kilometres. (See p. 293.) 

From Los Reyes the train runs eastward to Ayotla (25 
kilometres). It then turns to the south, and skirts the 
Lake of CJialco, passing the stations of La Compaftia (35 
kilometres), Tenango (47 kilometres), and, after ascending 
a heavy grade, reaches Amecameca (58 kilometres). 

AMECAMECA. 

Population, 10,000 ; elevation, 8,223 feet. 
Hotel. — ^At the railway-station, and meson, on the plaza. 
Places of Interest. — 1. The volcano of Popocatepetl. 2. The Sacro- 
monte. 

No tourist visits Amecameca for any other purpose than 
to ascend the great volcano. It is the culminating point * of 
North America, being 17,720 feet above the sea-level. The 
trip to the summit and back requires two days ; but, if the 
traveler wishes to ride and walk rapidly, and possesses ex- 
traordinary physical powers, a day and a half will be suffi- 
cient. He may leave the capital in the morning, and arrive 
at the ranch of Tlamacas, on the ridge-line between Popo- 
catepetl and Iztaccihuatl, the same evening. The next day 
the great volcano may be ascended. The traveler can re- 
turn to Amecameca in the evening, but not in time to take 
the afternoon train, unless he makes fast time on foot and 
on horseback. 

Before setting out, it will be advisable to obtain per- 
mission to sleep at the cabin of Tlamacas from the owner. 
General Sanchez Ochoa, who now (1883) resides in the Hotel 
Iturhide, at the capital. If the tourist fail to see General 
Ochoa, he can sleep either in the open air or in a dilapidated 
building at the ranch. The house which is generally used 

* The original measurement of Mount Saint Elias — i. e., 19,000 feet — 
has been found to be incorrect. 



300 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

is a framed structure, with a loose board floor, and is not 
provided with beds nor mattresses. There are, however, 
earthenware pots, a few plates, and glasses — all of which 
are, of course, convenient even for a single night. 

On arrival at Amecameca, the traveler should lose no 
time in engaging horses and guides, and he must also pro- 
vide himself with blankets, provisions, and an alpenstock. 
Senor Francisco Noriega, who keeps a large store on the 
north side of the plaza, will assist the stranger in procuring 
the wherewithal for the trip. An extra servant, or mozo, 
should accompany the party, to take charge of the horses 
during the ascent of the volcano. One guide to each trav- 
eler will be necessary, and it is unadvisable for a party of 
three or four persons to climb the peak with a single one. 
The cost of each guide will be five dollars, and of a mozo 
three dollars. Horses can be hired for a dollar a day. 

Having made the necessary preparations, the tourist 
will take the road leading out of the southeastern corner of 
the town, and travel nearly due east toward the Sierra, 
Fine wheat-fields are passed on the way, and the soil is well 
watered by the melting snow of the great volcano. The 
path soon rises, and enters a magnificent forest — a rare 
feature in the scenery of the table-land — where lofty pines, 
spruces, and firs abound. Proceeding farther, the trail 
from Puehla soon joins the main path from Amecameca, 
We now reach a growth of thick grass, and, after crossing 
the crest-line of the ridge and descending the eastern slope 
for about three hundred yards, the ranch of Tlamacas lies 
before us. The distance from Amecameca is about twelve 
miles. 

In starting out for the summit of Popocatepetl, the 
tourist is advised to leave the cabin by 4 a. m., if possible. 
A horse may be ridden to the edge of the snow-line, about 
half a mile distant. The ankles should be protected with 
stout gaiters or pieces of flannel, and the boots should be 



THE MOREL 08 RAILWAY. 301 

well greased, with a view to keeping the feet as dry as -pos- 
sible. The guides will generally attend to the needs of the 
tourist, and will carry an extra wrap or cloak, together with 
wine and proyisions, on their backs. 

The lower part of the peak of the volcano has a slope 
of about twenty degrees, while the angle increases in ascend- 
ing until it reaches about forty-five degrees just below the 
summit. 

Travelers should keep their alpenstocks on the upper 
side of the incline while ascending the peak ; and, in case 
of a slip, the weight of the body must be immediately 
thrown on the alpenstock. Tourists are not tied together by 
a rope, as in Switzerland. The air is so rarefied that one 
is compelled to walk very slowly. During the latter part 
of the ascent it is difiicult to make more than two hundred 
yards in an hour. In general, six hours will be required to 
reach the top of the peak from Tlamacas. The upper part 
of it is covered with ice, and is practically a glacier, having 
a very uneven surface. 

The crater is not visible until one arrives at the edge. 
A rough estimate of its dimensions would give the diameter 
at 500 yards, and the depth at 150 yards. There are sev- 
eral fumaroles in the crater from which sulphurous-acid 
gas is emitted, and a small pond is to be found at the bot- 
tom. According to the author's thermometer, the tempera- 
ture of the air on the summit, at ten o'clock A. m., was 32° 
Fahr. Clouds usually envelop the peak of Popocatepetl 
after ten o'clock in the forenoon, and the tourist should en- 
deavor to reach the summit by that hour. 

We have not space to describe the view, which is so ex- 
tensive that a region of about 100,000 square miles in area 
is visible. Suffice it to say that the Gulf of Mexico (150 
miles distant) may be seen on a clear day. On account of 
the highly rarefied atmosphere, not longer than one hour 
should be passed on the summit. 



302 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 



The descent may be made in one hour and a half. If 
the snow be tolerably soft, the tourist can sit on a petate, 
or piece of matting, with the guide, and slide down the 
slope. A rope is attached to the front part of the jpetate, 
which is held by the senor, and the guide, who is seated 
behind, steers with his alpenstock. The operation is simi- 
lar to coasting. 

Should the stranger fail to ascend the mountain the 
first time, he can spend two nights at the ranch of Tlama- 
caSj and make a second attempt on the following day. The 




Acapulco. 

sooner the lungs become accustomed to the atmosphere at 
this great eleyation the easier it will be to climb the peak. 
It is hardly necessary to add that the ascent of Popocatepetl 
is well worth the trouble and expense which it involves. 

A visit to the Sacromonte, one of the most famous 
shrines in Mexico, will be found interesting. This mount- 
ain lies on the western side of the town of Amecameca, and 



THE MOEELOS RAILWAY, 303 

rises about 300 feet above the plain. A paved pathway 
leads to a chapel on the summit. There are fourteen ^^ sta- 
tions/' each having a cross and inscription in Spanish, along 
this path. Many ex votos are seen at the door of the chapel. 
Some of them are in the form of oil-paintings, while others 
consist of silver arms and legs, which are hung in a glass 
case. An image of Nuestro Senor de Sacromonte is placed 
on the high altar. The saint wears a gold-embroidered 
cloak of velvet. Eibbons of various colors, giving the size 
of the head of Our Lord of the Sacred Mountain, are sold 
at the entrance and also at the foot of the pathway. The 
hill is covered with a dense growth of cedars. 

Leaving Amecameca, the railway runs almost due south 
past the stations of Ozumba (70 kilometres), Nepantla (95 
kilometres), Yecapixtla (111 kilometres), and reaches Cu- 
autla (138 kilometres). The chief object of interest on 
the road is the bridge at Ozumba, which is 618 feet long 
and 41 feet high. 

Cuautla, the principal city of the State of Morelos, has 
a population of about 14,000. The name is derived from 
QuauMli — i. e., delightful hills — a term given to the town 
by its founders, the Tlahuicos. It was conquered by the 
Spaniards in 1521, and was created a city in 1829. The 
objects of interest are the parochial church, City Hall, 
and Alameda. 

2. From Cuautla to Acapulco, about 200 miles. 

The railway will be extended from Cuautla to Cuerna- 
vaca, and thence to Acapulco via Ghilpancingo. Guerna- 
vaca is described in Section III. From a point about 25 
miles south of this town, the line will run entirely within 
Guerrero, a State that possesses immense mineral wealth, 
which is almost totally undeveloped. All tropical fruits, and 
corn, beans, peas, cotton, and sugar-cane, are grown in this 
State. There is also a great variety of timber in Guerrero, 



304 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 



The region lying along the proposed line of railroad does 
not possess many places of interest to the traveler. Chil- 
pancingo, the caj^ital of the State, is celebrated in history 
as the town where the first Mexican Congress assembled, 
on September 13, 1813, after the cry for independence had 
been raised by Hidalgo. This town has a pojDulation of 
3,800 inhabitants. (For description of AcapuIcOy see Sec- 
tion IV, p. 236.) 

It is said that the Morelos narrow-gauge road will be 
built to the port of Vera Cruz, via Ferote and Jalajpa, at 
some future time. We are of the opinion that this part 
of the line will not be completed for several years. 




Tree-Fern. 



SECTION IX. 
The Tehuantepec Railroad. 

(Compare with chapter on railroads.) 

During the last fifty years plans for establishing a com- 
munication between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via 
the Isthmus of Tehuantepec have been discussed. The 
Mexican Government in 1841 granted a concession to Don 
Jose de Garay to make a connection between the two 
oceans, provided that the grantee should make a survey, at 
his own expense, of the ground and the direction which the 
route should follow, and also of the ports which might be 
deemed most convenient from their proximity. A survey 
was duly made, and reports were published. But the route 
was not necessarily to be a canal, although Senor Moro, the 
engineer, based his operations upon this assumption. 

Soon after the termination of the war with the United 
States, the franchise of Senor de Garay became the property 
of Mr. P. A. Hargous, of J^ew York, who, in connection with 
a company organized in New Orleans, assumed the rights 
and responsibilities of the Garay grant. After negotiations 
with the Mexican Government and unavoidable delays, it 
was agreed that a railroad would be more practicable than 
a canal. Accordingly, a survey for a railway across the 
isthmus was made in 1851, under the direction of the late 
General J. G. Barnard, of the United States Army, who 
was detailed for that purpose. The surveys demonstrated 
that a railway would be feasible at a moderate expense ; 
that the grades did not exceed 60 feet per mile, except at 



306 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

the CMvela Pass, where tliey were 116 feet per mile for the 
distance of eight miles ; and that the summit was 720 feet 
aboYe the sea-level. 

In 1857 the railroad project was resumed, and a new 
survey was executed under the direction of Colonel W. H. 
Sidell, of the United States Army. Owing to various 
reasons, this line was never constructed. 

In 1870 the TehiMntej^ec Railioay Company was formed 
in New York. Mr. Simon Stevens became its president, 
with the late Hon. Marshall 0. Eoberts as promoter. New 
surveys and explorations were made, but the .road was not 
built under this administration. Upon a reorganization of 
the company, with Mr. Edward Larned, of Pittsfield, Mass., 
as president, and under a charter from the State of Massa- 
chusetts, a modified concession was obtained from the Mex- 
ican Government on June 2, 1879, to build the Teliuan- 
tepec Eailroad. A subsidy of $7,500 per kilometre was 
included in the concession. The track was not to exceed 
200 kilometres (124 miles) in length. 

Under Mr. Larned's management only five kilometres 
were constructed, and the concession was declared forfeited 
for non-compliance with its conditions. 

In 1882 the Mexican Government made a contract with 
private individuals for the completion of the Teliuantepec 
line ; and in January, 1883, the track was finished from 
the mouth of the Goatzacoalcos^ Eiver to Minatitlany a 
distance of 25 miles. The route of the projected railway 
is about 170 miles in length. The work of construction 
from Minatitlan to the port of Salina Cruz is now be- 
ing pushed vigorously by the Government. It is believed 
that the road will be finished and opened for trafiic in 
1885. 

The line runs due north and south, and it will traverse 
the southern ^portions of the States of Vera Cruz and Oa- 

* Also spelled Coatzacoalcos. 



THE TEHUANTEFEG RAILROAD. 307 

xaca. The adjacent country may be concisely described as 
follows : 

The depth of water at low tide is thirteen feet on the 
bar at the month of the Qoatzacoalcos River, which is nayi- 
gable for a distance of 30 miles. Placer gold-deposits are 
said to exist in the interior of the isthmus, although the 
country has not yet been geologically explored. Large beds 
of asphalt also occur. The vegetable productions of this 
region are indigo, tobacco, sugar-cane, cocoa, cotton, coffee, 
Indian corn, vanilla, sarsaparilla, ginger, and India-rubber. 

The terminus of the road will be at Salina Cruz, three 
miles west of La Ventosa, on the Pacific coast, which is 
considered a safe harbor. It is said that work on the west- 
ern section of this railway has begun. Winter is the best 
season for visiting the isthmus, as the summers are very 
hot and a great variety of insects abound. Some of them 
are poisonous, and the tourist should exercise extreme cau- 
tion to avoid being bitten while traveling through the jungle 
or in camping out. 

Humboldt, in his Political Essay on New Spain, has 
referred to the possibility of making the Isthmus of Tehuan- 
tepec an avenue of travel at some future day. He gives 
the width of the isthmus at 118 miles. The connections 
of the Tehuantepec Eailroad with the Mexican Southern 
Railroad are mentioned in Section YII. 

Captain J. B. Eads has recently visited England, to procure capital to 
build the Tehuantepec Ship-Railway. 

The advantages to commerce of a means of communication across the 
isthmus (either by land or water) can hardly be overestimated. This route 
lies between latitude 16° and 18°, and, unlike the malarious climate of Pa- 
nama, the region is comparatively healthy all the year round. While the 
commerce between Europe and the Pacific Ocean will be carried on via the 
Isthmus of Panama for many years, the greater part of the trade between 
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States must needs be con- 
ducted across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as soon as the railway is finished. 

It is hardly necessary to say that the latter route will soon become a 



308 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 



very formidable competitor to the Panama Railway sls Tega.Tds passenger 
traflSc. 

The distance from New York to San Francisco via l^ehuantepec is 1,4*77 
miles shorter than via Panama, and that from New Orleans to San Francisco 
is 2,334 miles less by the former than by the latter route. 




A Scene on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 



SECTION X. 
The Sonora Railway. 

From Benson to Guaymas. Distance, 353 miles ; time, 19 hours ; fare, $21. 

As already stated, the Sonora Eailway connects with 
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and Southern Pacific 
Eailroads. 

(For a full description of these routes, see Appletons^ 
General Guide to the United States.) 

Elevation of Benson, 3,5*78 feet; distance from San Francisco, 1,024 
miles. 

Leaving Benson, the line takes a southwesterly direction 
through the lower part of Arizona to Nogales on the Mexi- 
can frontier, 88 miles distant. The train stops thirty min- 
utes here. The line hetween the points just mentioned is 
called the Neiu Mexico and Arizona Railroad, the stations 
along the route heing : Canisteo, 7 miles ; Contention, 15 
miles ; Fairdanhs, 18 miles ; Broolcline, 23 miles ; Hua- 
chuca, 29 miles ; Elgin, 40 miles ; Sonoita, 49 miles ; Crit- 
tenden, 58 miles ; Sanford's, 68 miles ; CaUtbasas, 77 miles ; 
and Nogales, 88 miles. 

The road from Nogales to Guaymas is the Sonora Rail- 
way proper. It was completed on November 25, 1882. The 
stations from Nogales southward are : Encina, 94 miles ; 
Agua Zarca, 100 miles ; Cihuta, 109 miles ; Casita, 115 
miles ; Imuris, 130 miles (fifteen minutes' stop) ; Piersons, 
135 miles ; San Ignacio, 137 miles ; Magdalena, 142 miles, 
Santa Ana, 153 miles ; Llano, 160 miles ; Puerto, 183 



310 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 



miles ; Querohdbi, 189 miles ; Posa, 205 miles ; Carlo, 217 
miles ; Pesqueira, 239 miles ; Zamora, 247 miles ; Junc- 
tion, 260 miles ; Hermosillo, 263 miles (thirty minutes' 
stop) ; Willard, 274 miles ; Torres, 289 miles ; Moreno, 
307 miles ; Ortiz, 323 miles ; Santa Rosa, 333 miles ; May- 
torena, 338 miles ; Batamotal, 345 miles ; Long Bridge, 
348 miles ; Batuecas, 350 miles ; Guaymas, 353 miles. 




FronteraSy Sonora. 



This road extends through a fine cereal and grazing 
country. Oranges, pears, melons, and other fruits grow 
at Hermosillo and to the southward. This town has 7,000 
inhabitants. It contains a good hotel, the Cosmopolitan. 
Hermosillo lies in a valley about ten miles long and four 
miles wide. It is at the base of the Sierra de la Campana, 







^ 



312 



CITIES AND BOJITES OF TRAVEL. 



a rugged mountain of limestone. Ifagdalena lias a popula- 
tion of 3,000. A wagon-road leads thence to the town of 
Ures, Another line of railroad will soon be constructed 




Arispe. 

from Hermosillo via Ures, Arispe, Bachnachi, and Espia 
to Paso del Norte. 

The famous Mulatos * mine lies about 120 miles east of 
Ures. 

There is a fine Alameda at Arispe. The capital of the 
State was formerly located here. In 1832 it was removed 
to Ures, which now has 9,700 inhabitants. 

Guaymas, the terminus of the Sonora Railway, has a 

* A million dollars was recently offered and refused for this mine. 



TEE 80N0RA BAIL WAY. 313 

population of 6,000. The hotels are the Cosmopolitan and 
Central. Plans for building a railroad to this town have 
been discussed for many years. Now that the line is fin- 
ished, Guaymas is destined to grow rapidly. 

The completion of this road is a yery important event, 
as it establishes the third interoceanic route on this conti- 
nent. When fast trains are placed on the Atchison, Tope- 
ka and Santa Ee line, the Journey may be made from New 
York to Guaymas in five days and a few hours. The fare 
by rail is $108.40. The new line is expected to facilitate 
communication with Australia, while it will also give the 
traders of the Mexican, Central, and South American coasts 
an opportunity to send their products quickly to the Mis- 
sissippi Valley, the East, and the large cities that lie be- 
tween the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes. 

The Sonora Eailway also affords Americans a short 
route to the ports on the Pacific coast of Mexico. 

The city lies in latitude 28° north and longitude 110° 
40' west of Greenwich. It is situated at the foot of a ridge 
of mountains, and is well protected from winds. Its land- 
locked harbor is one of the best on the Mexican coast. 

The entrance to the j^ort is encompassed by islands. 
The bottom is covered with a very soft mud, so that mas- 
ters of vessels intending to remain a long time in the har- 
bor are obliged to raise their anchors occasionally to prevent 
them from sinking too deeply. 

The depth of water in the inner harbor is from two to 
four fathoms, affording safe anchorage for vessels drawing 
from fifteen to eighteen feet. The depth of the outer har- 
bor is from four to seven fathoms, allowing safe anchorage 
for vessels of twenty-two to twenty-eight feet draught. 
The bay abounds in a great variety of fish. 

Guaymas is built along the shore of the bay, its length 
being about one mile, and its breadth not exceeding a quar- 
ter of a mile. The houses are of stone, brick, and adohe, 

14 



814 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 






mmi 









i'i 

'if 




The climate is exceedingly hot in summer, but delightful 
in winter. The atmosphere is dry, except in the rainy sea- 
son, which lasts from June to September. 



I 



THE SONORA EAILWAT. 315 

Steamers leave Guaymas every twenty days for Manza- 
nillo, toucliing at Altata, La Paz, Mazatlan, and San Bias. 

A wagon-road extends from Guaymas to Buena Vista 
on the Rio Yaqui, about 100 miles distant, and thence to 
the mining town of Alamos, in the southern part of the 
State. 

There is immense mineral wealth in Sonora, which will 
be developed by the new railroads. Mines of gold, silver, 
iron, lead, copper, antimony, tin, and sulphur are found 
in the region adjacent to the Sonora Railway, and to the 
branch road running toward the State of CMlmahua. De- 
posits of carbonate of soda, alum, salt, marble, and gypsum 
are also abundant along these routes. The same minerals 
occur at Oposura, Saguaripa, Altar, and Alamos, the last- 
named town containing the richest gold and silver mines 
in the State. 

For many years the depredations of the Apache Indians 
have interfered materially with the development of the 
metallic wealth. 

One of the most important mineral deposits of Sonora 
is anthracite, which has recently been discovered at Bar- 
ranca, on the Yaqui Eiver, about 100 miles from its mouth. 
The coal is found in sandstone and conglomerate, and is 
said to contain 90 per cent of carbon. It is probably the 
largest and richest bed of coal in Mexico. 

The agricultural products have already been briefly 
mentioned, but it may be remarked that good crops of 
sugar-cane, tobacco, rice, and brown beans are also culti- 
vated. Such trees as the rosewood, ebony, logwood, and 
Brazil-wood grow in abundance. 



SECTION XI. 

Tlie American and Mexican Pacific Railway. 

The corporate name of this company is ^'The Texas, 
Topolobampo and Pacific Eailroad and Telegraph Com- 
pany. " Its charter was formed, under the general railroad 
law of Massachusetts, on the 8th of March, 1881. 

The concession from the Mexican Goyernment was ob- 
tained on the 13th of June, 1881, and amended on Decem- 
ber 5, 1882. The leading provisions are as follow : The 
right to construct or operate for ninety-nine years a trunk- 
line of railroad from Topolobampo Bay to Piedras Negras, 
on the Rio Grande ; also to extend branches from the main 
line to Alamos, in Sonora, to Mazatlan, in Sinaloa, to 
Presidio del Norte, on the Rio Grande, and to other points 
— a total of about 2,000 miles. A subsidy from the Mexi- 
can Government of $8,064 per mile upon all of its lines — 
making a total of about $16,000,000. The freight tariff 
per ton for each kilometre of distance is not to exceed six 
cents on first-class, four cents on second-class, and two and 
a half cents on third-class goods, and one and a half cents 
on every ton of coal. The j^assenger rates per kilometre 
must not exceed three cents, two cents, and one cent and 
a half for the first, second, aad third classes, respectively. 
The Federal Government agrees not to subsidize any par- 
allel railway within a limit of twenty-five leagues on either 
side of the company's lines. 

Wood is abundant along the greater part of the route. 
Pines and oaks are found at an elevation of 4,000 feet and 



AMERICAN' AND MEXICAN PA CIFIC BAIL WA Y. 317 

upward. Cedars and firs grow on the crest of the Sierra 
Madre, aboye 6,500 feet. 

The State of Chihuahua possesses fine grazing-land (see 
p. 285). There are much fertile soil and valuable timber in 
the portions of Sinaloa adjacent to the line. 




The Pitahaya. 

This curioiis plant is common in various parts of Sonora. The stem is from one foot to 
two and a half feet in diameter, and the height varies from twenty to fifty feet. 



The following is a condensed itinerary of this line from 
Topolodampo to Piedras Negras : 

Gonzalez City, on the north side of the inner port of Topolohampo Bay, 
will be the site of the western terminus of the railway. The projected 



318 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

city has a water front of 7^ miles. It lies in north latitude 25° 32'. The 
harbor is 18 miles long, and from one to six miles in width. It consists of 
two great basins, which are connected by the straits of Joshua. The water 
is 21 feet deep on the bar at low tide. Topolohampo is a far better port 
than Mazatlan. 

Leaving Gonzalez City, the railway will have a northerly course as far 
as Fuerte. It will then enter the " foot-hills " of the Sierra Madre^ traverse 
the southeastern corner of the State of Sonora, and run northeasterly, near 
the rich mining districts of Urique and Ratopilas, to the town of Bocogna 
(elevation, 7,300 feet), in Chihuahua. From this place the line will take 
an easterly direction to Nonoavas, and, through the valley of the Rio Con- 
chos, to a point near Parral. Thence the road-bed will descend to Jimenez^ 
on the Mexican Central Railway. Leaving this station, the track will be 
continued across the Bolson de Ifapimi, and through the State of Coahuila^ 
to Fiedras Negras^ on the Rio Grande. 

From, this point, connection can easily be made with 
lines for Galveston, New Orleans, or the South Atlantic 
coast. 

This road will traverse a region in which Americans 
have invested large amounts of capital. The projectors of 
the railway hope to obtain much of the overland traffic 
from New York to Australia and New Zealand, as the dis- 
tance to Auckland is 530 miles shorter via Topololamjpo 
Bay than via San Francisco, Cal. Hon. William Windom 
is the president of this new railroad company. It is said 
that the preliminary surveys are nearly completed, and that 
the work of grading will be commenced immediately. 



SECTION XII. 

The New York, Texas and Mexican Sailroad (better known 
as Count Telfener's Railroad), 

This line begins at Roseoiburg Junction, in Texas, and 
runs to Broiunsville, on the northern side of the Rio Grande, 
via Wharton, Victoria, San Patricio, and Banquete. 

There are two hotels in Brownsville, Miller's and the 
Bio Grande. The objects of interest are : Old Fort Brown, 
the United States Cemetery, the battle-fields of Palo Alto 
and Resaca de la Palma, and Point Isalel. 

The road will cross the Rio Grande at Brownsville, and, 
entering Matamoros, it will extend southward to Tampico, 
a distance of about 275 miles. 

There is no hotel in Matamoros. The places of interest 
are : The Government buildings, cathedral, theatre. Plaza 
mayor, the city walls, and the garden and zocalo at Santa 
Cruz Point. 

The climate is yery hot in summer. In winter the 
thermometer occasionally sinks to the freezing-point. 

Communication with Brownsville is made by row-boats. 
A cTialau, or flat-boat, is used for freight. 

The Matamoros and Monterey Railroad is completed 
and in operation as far as Reynosa, a distance of 50 miles. 
(See p. 157.) 

Count Telfener * expects to continue this railway along 
the coast to Tuxpan, and thence to the City of Mexico. 

* Count Telfener is an Italian. He is also a brother-in-law of Mr. Jolin 
Mackay, of Nevada. 



320 CITIES AlfD ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 

The distance by this route from New YorTc to the Mexi- 
can capital will be no less than 600 miles shorter than by 
the Mexican Central, and 300 miles shorter than by the 
Mexican National Eailway. 

Leaving Matamoros, the line will trend southwesterly 
across a flat country via San Fernando and Santander as far 
as the twenty-fourth parallel. At this point the track will 
be extended eastward to the port of 8oto la Marina, which 
lies about midway between Tampico and Matamoros. The 
harbor of Soto la Marina is said to be navigable for large 
vessels up to a distance of half a mile from the shore. In 
this respect it is different from nearly all other Mexican 
ports, which have sand-bars at their entrance. 

Count Telfener is reported to have stated recently that 
he intends to concentrate his working force and materials 
at Soto la Marina, and construct the railway northward 
and southward from this point. Soto la Marina was, dur- 
ing the reign of the viceroys, a flourishing town, but it has 
since dwindled into an unimportant village. It is situated 
on the bank of the Corona Eiver, about 35 miles from the 
Gulf of Mexico. 

A few American merchants have established themselves 
here. Soto la Marina is celebrated in history as the spot 
where the unfortunate Emperor Iturbide landed in 1824. 

The main line will run almost due south from this port 
to Tampico, via Cruces, Realito, Bejarano, Sanapa, and 
Aldama ; while a branch will be extended via Padilla* to 
Victoria, the capital of the State of Tamaulipas, where it 
will connect with the Mexican Southern Eailroad. ( Vide 
Section VII.) The New York, Texas and Mexican Rail- 
road will also cross the eastern branch of the Mexican Cen- 

* Padilla is a dilapidated old Spanish settlement. It was on the plaza 
of this town that Iturbide, the first Emperor of Mexico, was shot in the au- 
tumn of 1824, in accordance with a decree of the National Congress. The 
population is about 1,500. 



I^FW YOEK, TEXAS AND MEXICAN RAILROAD, 321 

tral Eailway at Tamjoico. (For description of Tampico, see 
p. 157.) 

Proceeding southward from this point, a bridge will 
probably be constructed across the Panuco River, and 
thence the railway will run in a southeasterly direction to 




A Mexican Hacienda. 

the port of Tuxpan, about 125 miles distant. This division 
of the route passes through the northern part of the State 
of Vera Cruz, which is noted for valuable wells of petroleum 
and bitumen. ( Vide pp. 157, 158.) The region lying be- 
tween Matamoros and Tuxpan is fertile for the most part. 



322 CITIES AND ROUTES 01 TRAVEL. 

Tamaulipas yields extensive crops of sngar-cane, barley, 
maize, wheat, cotton, rice, ixtle,* and tropical fruits. It 
also contains excellent grazing-lands. The mules raised 
in this State are said to be the best in Mexico. There is 
good farming-land in Northern Vera Cruz. Extensive 
forests, consisting of a great variety of woods, are found 
along the route. 

Leaving Tuxpan, the railroad will have a southwesterly 
course through the northern part of the State of Puebla 
and the southern portion of the State of Hidalgo, after 
which it will be continued to the District of Mexico. The 
last-named tract of country possesses valuable silver-mines. 
The famous ore deposits of PacTiuca and Regla, in the 
southern part of Hidalgo, are described on pages 196, 197. 
The maguey is planted very extensively in this region. 
The cereals, brown beans (frijoles), and potatoes are also 
grown. (Up to November 1, 1883, if our sources of infor- 
mation are correct, no rails have been laid on the road-bed 
of this railway, although it has been graded in several 
places. ) 

* Three million pounds of ixtle are produced annually. 



SECTION XIII. 
The Mexican International Eailroad. 

This line is being constructed under the so-called Hun- 
tington concession. Its northern terminus is at Piedras 
Negras, in the State of Coaliuila. An iron bridge, which is 
930 feet long, crosses the Rio Grande at this point, and com- 
municates with Eagle Pass, Texas. Here connection is made 
by a branch line with the Galveston, Harrisburg and San 
Antonio Eailroad at Spofford Junction, 34 miles distant. 

Leaving Piedras Negras (elevation, 720 feet), the rail- 
way runs southerly to Monclova. The stations are Nava, 
25 miles ; Allende, 33 miles ; SaMnas, 73 miles ; Hermanas, 
125 miles ; and Monclova, 148 miles. There is an iron 
bridge over the Rio SaMnas (elevation, 1,400 feet). The 
population of Monclova is about 3,000, and the elevation is 
2,030 feet. A wagon-road leads to Saltillo, 121 miles dis- 
tant. (See p. 245.) 

From Monclova the railroad will trend southwesterly 
toward the "laguna country," where the mean elevation 
is 4,000 feet. The line will pass within a few leagues of 
Parras and Mazapil. Connection will be made with the 
Mexican Central Eailway in the vicinity of Durango. 

The greater part of the region traversed by the Mexican 
International Eailroad is fertile. The cereals, sugar-cane, 
and cotton are cultivated at various points. 

On ]N"ovember 1, 1883, about 120 miles of track had 
been laid, and it is expected that the road will be completed 
to Monclova by the end of the current year. 



SECTION XIY. 

The Siualoa and Durango Eailroad. 

This line was begun in Noyember, 1881. It will run 
from the port of AUaia, on the Pacific, to the City of 
Durango, via Culiacan and Cosald, a distance of about 225 
miles. (See p. 9. ) 

A branch, will be extended from Culiacan to Ma- 
zatlan. 

At present (October, 1883) the railway is completed 
from Altata to Culiacan, a distance of 38^ miles. 

The population of Altata is about 500. The town was 
destroyed by a cyclone on October 3, 1883. 

The stations are Guasimillas (7f miles), Bacliimeto (14 
miles), Limoncito (15|- miles), Navalato (18 miles), Yeva- 
rito (22f miles), San Pedro (26^% miles), BicMlmalto (32| 
miles), Flores (34 miles), Culiacan (38^ miles). 

CULIACAiq". 

Population, 10,000; elevation, 165 feet. 
Hotels. — Ferrocarril and Diligendcts. 

A diligence runs to Cosald, 97 miles from Culiacan. 
The city of Durango lies about 130 miles east.* 

On November 1, 1883, there were in the Mexican Re- 
public about 2,500 miles of completed railways. 

* Since the chapter on railroads was in type, the author has decided to 
devote a separate section to each of the four last-named railways, for con- 
venience in the preparation of future editions. 



THE SINALOA AND DURANGO RAILROAD, 325 

The concessions made to American capitalists to build 
railroads in Mexico amount to nearly 13,000 miles, as 
follows : 

National 2,000 

Central 2,000 

International (Huntington) and Southern Pacific (two 

concessions) 4,000 

Sonora 265 

New York, Texas and Mexican 500 

Southern 1,600 

Sinaloa 350 

Topolobampo 2,000 

12,715 




Scene on the Sonora River. 



sEOTiojsr xy. 

Table of Distances (chiefly by Rail). 

Miles. 

New York to Laredo, via St. Louis 2,187 

New York to Laredo, via New Orleans 2,400 

New York to Mexico City, via St. Louis and Laredo 3,00*7 

New York to El Paso, Texas, via St. Louis 2,456 

San Francisco to El Paso 1,286 

El Paso to Mexico City 1,200 

Laredo to Mexico City 820 

Corpus Christi to Mexico City 983 

Monterey to Acambaro 478 

Acambaro to Manzanillo 443 

Acambaro to Mexico City 172 

Vera Cruz to Mexico City 263 

Puebla to Mexico City (by rail) 115 

Queretaro to Mexico City 152 

San Luis Potosi to Mexico City 312 

Guanajuato to Mexico City 252 

Guadalajara to Mexico City, via Lagos 425 

Zacatecas to Mexico City 340 

San Bias to Mexico City 661 

Durango to Mexico City 529 

Morelia to Mexico City 222 

Oaxaca to Mexico City 350 

Perote to Mexico City 237 

Acapulco to Mexico City, via Chilpancingo 290 

Minatitlan to Tehuantepec 135 

Benson to Guaymas 353 



SECTION XVI. 

Guatemala. 

Peioe to the year 1823, Guatemala and Mexico were 
ruled by the same government. Together, they formed 
the viceroyalty of ^3w SjDain. Hence the resemblance 
which, in many respects, the two republics bear to each 
other. Much that has been stated in Part First, concern- 
ing the climate, the history, language, literature, religion, 
education, jurisprudence, tariff, money, weights and meas- 
ures, immigration, agriculture, geology, zoology, botany, 
and the future needs of Mexico, is in general applicable to 
Guatemala. 

GEOGRAPHY. 

Area, 50,600 square miles. Population, 1,200,000,* 
which is composed of mestizos, negroes, Indians, and whites. 
The last-named are about 12,000, of which perhaps 1,000 
are foreigners. 

Boundaries. — Guatemala is bounded on the north by 
Yucatan ; on the east by Balize, the Bay of Honduras, and 
the Eepublics of Honduras and San Salvador ; on the south 
by the Pacific Ocean ; and on the west by the Mexican State 
of Chiapas. 

The greatest length from north to south is 320 miles, 
and the greatest breadth is 280 miles. 

Mountains.— The larger part of the surface of Guate- 
mala consists of an elevated table-land, which is a continu- 

* In round numbers. 



328 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 



ation of the plateau of Yucatan. It has a mean altitude 
above the sea-level of 5,000 feet. 

The Sierra Madre, which is a prolongation of the Andes 
of South America, traverses the country from southeast to 
northwest, at a distance from the Pacific coast varying be- 
tween 30 and 50 miles. The mean height of the range is 
7,000 feet. The greatest altitude is in the western portion, 
which bears the local name of the Cucliumatanes Mount- 




ains. The descent of the Sierra Madre on the southern 
side is abrupt, while on the northern side it is gradual 
until it subsides into the plain. 

The Cordillera is divided into four sections, viz. : 

The Sierra de las Minas ; 

The Sierra de Santa Cruz ; 

The Sierra de Chamd ; and 

The Sierra del Merendon. 

1. The Sierra de las Minas is bounded on the north by 



GUATEMALA, 



329 




Native of Mixco. 



the valley of the Rio Polochic and the Lake of Izabal, and 
on the south by the Rio Motagua. The range is formed 
mostly of igneous rocks. In the western portion it con- 
tains mines of some importance, whence it deriyes its name. 
2. The Sierra de Santa Cruz rises to the north of that of 



330 CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

the Minas, from wliich it is separated by the valley of the 
Eio FolocMc. 3. The Sierra de Cliamd lies between the 
riyers Cahabon and Sarstun on the south, and the Rio 
Pasion on the north, ending in the Cochsconib Mountains 
of the territory of Balize. This range, as well as the last- 
named one, is composed of limestone. 

4. The Sierra, or Mountain of Merendon, forms the 
boundary between Guatemala and Honduras. It branches 
off from the main body of the Cordillera in the department 
of Chiquimula, where its yarious spurs receiye separate and 
distinct names. 

A series of volcanoes, about twenty in number, ex- 
tends across the country. They are not found in the main 
Cordillera, but occur in the extremities of its southern 
branches. A line drawn from northwest to southeast passes 
through the principal ones, and may be called the volcanic 
axis of the Cordillera of Guatemala. These volcanoes are 
divided into three sections — the western, the central, and 
the eastern. The first section comprises the two extinct 
volcanoes of Tacand and Tajumulco, which are situated in 
the department of San Marcos. From the latter sulphur 
is mined. 

The central section contains several active volcanoes, 
beginning with the group of Quezaltenango. The most 
important is the Cerro Quemado, which has an altitude of 
10,200 feet above the sea-level. The last eruption of this 
volcano occurred in 1785. This group is bounded on the 
south by the volcano of Santa Maria (elevation, 11,480 
feet). Going toward the southeast, one sees on the shores 
of the Lake oiAtitlan the volcano of San Pedro (elevation, 
8,200 feet), which is separated from that of Atitlan by an 
arm of this lake. Eruptions from the latter volcano took 
place in 1828, 1833, and 1852. 

The next group is in the vicinity of Old Guatemala. 
To the southwest of this city lies the highest mountain in 



GUATEMALA. 



331 



Central America, the extinct Yolcano of Acatenango, wMch 
is 13,612 feet above the sea-level. To the north is another 
volcano which is less elevated. This group is bounded on 
the south by the Volcan de Fuego, 13,120 feet high. Its 




Volcan de Agua^ Old Guatemala. 

last eruption was in June, 1880. On the opposite side of 
the valley of Old Guatemala lies the Volcan de Agua, which 
has an altitude of 12,286 feet. To the eastward of this 
volcano is the group comprising Pacaya (elevation, 7,680 
feet), which is separated from it by the valley of the Rio 
MicJiatoya. The last eruption took place in July, 1775. 
This system includes the two small extinct volcanoes called 
the Cerro Redondo, from the round conical figure of one of 
them. In the department of Santa Rosa lies the only 
outlier of the Cordillera toward the south, the mountain 
of Santa Rosa, which is between the rivers MicTiatoya and 
Esclavos. The southern end of this mountain is formed 
by the volcano of Tecua^nburro. 

The eastern section of the volcanoes of Guatemala is 



332 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 



situated in the departments of Jutiapa and CMquimula. 
The northernmost member of this system is that of Ipala, 
whose height is 11,808 feet. To the southward lies the 
Yolcano of Monterico, which is somewhat smaller. In the 
same direction and beyond the Rio Ostiia is the volcano of 
Santa Catarina, or Sucliitan, in Jutiapa. 

The minor yolcanoes of Culma and Amayo are situated 
on the south-southwest, beyond which is the mountain of 
Moyuta. 

The easternmost volcano of Guatemala is that of CMn- 
go, haying an eleyation of 6,560 feet. It is located near the 
frontier of San Salvador. As in Mexico, the country is 
divided into three zones, as follows : The tierra caliente, 




The Plaza, Quezaltenango. 

between the sea-level and 1,300 feet ; the tierra templada, 
between 1,300 and 4,900 feet ; the tierra fria, between 
4,900 and 8,200 feet. The Atlantic shore-line is very ir- 
regular in shape, while the Pacific coast is bordered with 



GUATEMALA. 333 

lagoons. The former measures 150 miles and the latter is 
260 miles in length. 

EiVEES. — The country abounds with brooks and streams, 
some of which are navigable. The chief rivers are, the 
Pasioriy Usmnacinta, Chixoy, Negro, Polocliic, Motagua, 
Margarita, Maria Linda, Guacalate, Madre Vieja, Sama- 
la, Michatoya, Paz, and Esclavos. 

Lakes. — The principal lakes are : Izalal, Peten, Ama- 
titlan, Ayarza, Lacandon, Atitlan, Cuitlan, Guija, and 
Itzan. Lake Izabal is the largest (area, 860 square miles). 
Peten ranks next (area, 160 square miles). The latter is 
well stocked with fish, and contains a species of alligator. 
The altitude above the sea-level of Lake Amatitlan is 3,890 
feet ; that of Lake Ayarza is 3,100 feet ; and that of Lake 
Atitlan is 5,110 feet. 

Climate. — Excepting in the vicinity of the marshy 
lagoons along the Pacific coast, the climate is considered 
healthy. The rainy season lasts from May to October. 
The annual rainfall at the capital is computed at fifty-four 
inches. The rains are heaviest in the tierra templada. 

Speikgs. — Hot and cold springs are abundant in the 
country. Some of them contain sulphurous water. Im- 
portant saline springs occur in the departments of CMqiii- 
mula and Santa Rosa. 

Poets. — The ports on the Atlantic shore are : 1. Pzahal, 
on the south side of the lake of the same name. It lies in 
north latitude 15° 24', and longitude 89° 9' west of Green- 
wich. The Rio Dulce forms the outlet of the lake, and 
the bar at its mouth prevents the entrance of large vessels. 
2. Santo Tomds, on the southern end of the Bay of Ama- 
tique, in the Gulf of Honduras. It is situated in north 
latitude 15° 38' 3", and longitude 88° 35' 6" west of Green- 
wich. It is one of the best ports in Central America, al- 
though insalubrious. It is the chief seaport of the eastern 
coast of the Kepublic. The depth of water in the harbor 



834 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 



is six fathoms, and large ships can anchor close to the 
shore. 3. Livingston, on the left bank of the Bio Dulce, 
near the month. It lies in north latitude 15° 48' and longi- 
tude 88° 46' west of Greenwich. This port was established 
in 1878, when the custom-house of Lzabal was remoyed 
to it. 

The main ports on the Pacific coast are : San Jose, at 
the mouth of the Rio MicJiatoya, in the department of 
Escuintla, in north latitude 13° 56' and longitude 90° 42' 




General View of the City of Quezaltenango. 

west of Greenwich ; and Champerico, in the department of 
Sucliitepequez, which lies in north latitude 14° 17' and 
longitude 91° 57' west of Greenwich. There are a few 
minor ports, such as San Oeronimo, Tecojate, and San 
Luis, in the department of Escuintla, and Los Esclavos, 
in the department of Santa Rosa. 

Political Diyisions. — The following table, from Fo- 
ledo, exhibits the twenty departments into which the Re- 
public of Guatemala is divided, their estimated areas, their 
respectiye capitals, their population, and the population of 



GUATEMALA. 



335 



the capitals. Altogether, the Republic contains 10 cities, 
22 towns, 304 townships, and 1,794 hamlets, etc. : 



DEPARTMENT. 



Guatemala, , . . 
Sacatepequez . 
Amatitlan .... 

Escuintla 

Cbimaltenango 

Solola 

Totonicapan. . . 

Quiche 

Quezaltenango. 
Suchitepequez . 
Huehuetenango 
San Marcos . . . 

Peten 

Verapaz 

Izabal 

Chiquimula , . . 

Zacapa 

Jalapa 

Jutiapa. ...... 

Santa Rosa . . . 

Total 



Area, square 
miles. 



'700 

250 

200 

1,950 

800 

VOO 

700 

1,300 

450 

2,500 

4,550 

750 

13,200 

11,200 

1,500 

2,200 

4,400 

450 

1,700 

1,100 



50,600 



Population. 



100,000 
48,000 
38,000 
30,000 
60,000 
80,000 

114,000 
75,000 
94,000 
69,000 
90,000 

100,000 
14,000 

100,000 
3,400 
70,000 
28,000 
8,600 
38,000 
38,500 



1,198,500 



Capitals. 



Guatemala 

Antigua 

Amatitlan 

Escuintla 

Cbimaltenango 

Solola 

Totonicapan 

Santa Cruz del Quiche 

Quezaltenango , 

Suchitepequez 

Huehuetenango 

San Marcos 

Flores 

Salama 

Izabal 

Chiquimula 

Zacapa 

Jalapa 

Jutiapa , 

Cuajiniquilapa , 



Population. 



50,000 

15,000 

14,000 

10,000 

6,300 

15,000 

25,000 

6,300 

22,000 

11,500 

16,000 

12,600 

2,200 

8,000 

750 

12,000 

4,000 

4,000 

7,000 

5.000 



MISCELLANEOUS. 

In the year 1524 Guatemala was subjugated by Pedro 
de Alyarado, who had been the trusted lieutenant of Cortes 
in the Conquest of Mexico. In 1527 Charles V appainted 
a captain-general to govern the country. 

Simultaneously with the achievement of Mexican Inde- 
pendence, the people of Guatemala threw off the Spanish 
yoke, and annexed themselves to the so-called empire under 
Iturbide. Upon the fall of that usurper in 1823, Guate- 
mala became united to the Central American Federal Ee- 
public. Eight years later, Guatemala seceded from the 
remaining states and proclaimed itself an independent re- 
public. 

In 1871 a religious war broke out, which led to the ban- 



336 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL, 



ishment of the archbisliop and the suppression of the order 
of Jesuits. President Barrios, a man of enlightened and pro- 
gressive views, was elected to the chief magistracy on May 
9, 1873, and has continued to fill the office from that day to 
this. Since the revolution all religions have been tolerated. 




Tlie National Institute^ Guatemala. 

The public debt on January 1, 1882, was $7,139,169. 
The annual revenue amounts to $7,479,719, and the expen- 
ditures are slightly in excess of this sum. The largest ex- 
port trade is with the United States, and the largest import 
trade is with Great Britain. The main exports are coffee,* 
India-rubber, woolen cloths, hides, sugar, specie, timber, 
cochineal, cocoa, sarsaparilla, and fruit. In 1882 the ex- 
ports of Guatemala amounted to $3,719,210, and the value 
of the imports was $2,254,574. 

During 1882 the entry of vessels in the three principal 
ports was as follows : San Jose, 67 steamers, 25 sailing-ves- 
sels ; Cliamperico, 50 steamers, 14 sailmg- vessels ; Living- 
ston, 41 steamers, 13 sailing-vessels. 

* About $4,000,000 worth of coffee is grown annually. 



GUATEMALA. 



187 



On January 1, 1883, there were in the Republic 811 
primary schools, in which 37,469 children were taught by 
972 instructors, at a cost of 1283,000. Evening schools for 
mechanics and working- women have also been established. 
There is a governmental School of Arts and Trades, num- 
bering 15 professors and 150 scholars. 

The Government is now encouraging immigration. 

The mineral deposits of the country consist of gold, 
silver, iron, copper, lead, antimony, zinc, coal, gypsum, and 
marble. Most of the mineral wealth is found in the de- 
partment of Cliiquimula, where the far-famed Olotepeque 
mines are still worked. The department of Izahal contains 
auriferous gravel-beds and veins of bituminous coal. The 
latter are found near the volcano of Sail Gil. 




The Government Building^ Quezaltenango. 

The vegetable resources may be briefly described as fol- 
lows : A large portion of the Eepublic is covered with dense 
forests ; valuable woods, like ebony, logwood, walnut, In- 
dia-rubber, and mahogany, abound. There are many medi- 
cinal plants, among which may be mentioned jalap, ipecac, 

15 



338 CITIE8 AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 

sassafras, and sarsaparilla. Yarious kinds of gums, resins, 
and balsams are also found. Tlie cereals, Indian corn, 
cotton, yanilla, sugar-cane, rice, and all tropical fruits grow 
in tlie country. 

Cattle are raised to a considerable extent. The native 
dialects are the CahcMquel, QtUcM, and Maya. Some im- 
portant ruins are found at Quirigua. The United States 
and Great Britain haye ministers resident at New Guate- 
mala. American consuls, or consular agents, reside at the 
capital, and at the ports of Champerico, San Jose, and Iza- 
hal. A transcontinental railway is projected by the Goy- 
ernment from JSfeiu Guatemala to Livingston, a distance of 
two hundred and fifty miles. The line will cost about 
$12,000,000. It is said that the work of construction will 
be begun in the spring of 1884. There are about 4,000 
miles of telegraph in Guatemala. 

ROUTES AKD CITIES. 

Route I. 

1. From ToNALA, Mexico, to San Jose de Guatemala, 221 miles. 

Leaving Tonald, the Pacific Mail steamers touch at San 
Benito (102 miles) and Champerico (145 miles), {Champerico 
Hotel). A Calif ornian corporation has recently constructed 
a railway from the last-named port to Retalhuleii, a dis- 
tance of 30 miles. Retalliuleu is the capital of the depart- 
ment of the same name, and has a population of 5,000. 
There are two hotels here. There is no harbor at Cliam- 
perico, but a substantial iron pier has been erected to facili- 
tate the landing of passengers and cargo. 

Leaving Champerico, the steamer proceeds to San Jose 
de Guatemala, 76 miles distant (Hotel, San Jose). An 
American consul resides at the latter town. This jDort is 
an open roadstead, and has a pier similar to that of Cham- 
perico. 



GUATEMALA. 339 

Route II. 

2. From San Jose to New Guatemala, 67 miles. Fares to Escuintla, first 
class, $4 ; second class, $2. Two trains daily. The maximum rates of 
freight can not exceed 75 cents a ton. 

The Guatemala Central Eailroad Company * has recent- 
ly constructed a narrow-gauge (three feet) line to EscuinU 
la, 28*5 miles from San Jose. 

The stations are 8an Jose, Naranjo, Masagua, and Es- 
cuintla. 

There are eight harrancas, or ravines, which are crossed 
by bridges. The maximum grade is ^J per cent. 

The railway will be extended to the city of New Guate- 
mala by the Central American Pacific Railway and Trans- 
portation Company, which has recently purchased a con- 
trolling interest in the above-mentioned company. The 
road will be completed during 1884. At present a daily 
stage-coach connects Escuintla with the capital. 

GUATEMALA. 

A Population, 60,000 in 1883 ; elevation, 4,932 feet. 

Hotels. — Del Gloho, Gran Hotel^ Aleman, Del Teairo. 

Baths. — Granja del Cipres, El Administrador^ Matamoros, and El 
Zapote. 

Banks. — International and Colombiano. 

Carriages, two horses, $2 an hour ; one horse, $1 an hour. 

Diligences. — To Escuintla, 86 miles ; to Chiquimula, 50 miles ; to Chi- 
maltenango, 31 miles ; and to Old Guatemala, 21 miles. 

Newspapers. — Six are published in the Spanish language. 

The City of Guatemala is the capital of the Eepublic. 
It is situated in north latitude 14° 37' 32", and longitude 
90° 30' 47" west of Greenwich. It was founded in 1776, 
on the northern end of a broad plain. The streets are 
straight and cross each other at right angles, but they are 
badly paved. Owing to the frequency of earthquakes, the 

* This railway was begun in June, 1880. 



340 



CITIES AND ROUTES OF TRAVEL. 



houses are of one story. The patios are usually ornamented 
with statuary or with shrubs and flowers. 

The city has several squares. The largest, a rectangle, 
625 feet long by 535 feet wide, has on the east side the 
cathedral and the archiepiscopal palace, on the west the 
Goyernor's palace, ministerial offices, etc., with the mint 
in the rear ; on the north the City Hall ; and on the south 
a line of shops. In the center is a fountain and basin for- 
merly surmounted by an equestrian statue of Charles IV, the 
horse of which alone remains. A large part of this plaza is 
occupied by rows of miserable little huts, in which pottery, 
iron utensils, «^«5^?e-thread, and other small wares are sold. 
The rent of these forms a part of the municipal revenue. 

In the center of another square is the theatre, equal in 
size and elegance to any in Spanish America. Eows of 




The National Tlieatre^ Guatemala. 



orange, oleander, and other trees of brilliant flowers and 
grateful fragrance surround the building, while a profu- 
sion of statues, fountains, etc., placed at intervals through- 
out the square, enhances the beauty of this fashionable even- 
ing promenade. 



GUATEMALA. 



341 



Foremost among the public buildings is the cathedral, 
built in 1780, of simple and elegant design, and occupying 
a space of 450 feet square. In the decoration of the inte- 
rior, a chaste variety is observed. There are sculjDtures in 
wood, and some fine paintings by native artists. There are 




The Cathedral^ Guatemala. 

twenty-four other churches, a hospital, a university, a med- 
ical school, and a prison. Guatemala has the largest num- 
ber of educational institutions of any city in Central Amer- 
ica. Many of the wealthy people of other States send their 
children here for instruction. 

The capital can boast of an excellent police force, at the 
head of which is a former member of the municipal police 
of New York City, the uniform in both places being the 
same. There are twenty-five public reservoirs and many 
fountains. The water is brought to the city by two aque- 
ducts, which cost $2,000,000. 

The climate of the capital is mild though changeable. 
April and May are the hottest months. The mean tem- 



342 



CITIES AND ROUTES 01 TRAVEL. 



peratnre of the year is 65° Fahr., the maximum being 87° 
and the minimum 41° Fahr. 

OLD GUATEMALA {la Antiguo), 

Population, 20,000 in 1883. 

The city lies in latitude 14° 34' 58" north, and longi- 
tude 90° 44' 5" west of G-reenwich. It was founded in 1524 




The Plaza^ Old Guatemala. 

by Pedro de Alvarado. In 1541 it was destroyed by a flood 
of water from the adjacent Volcan de Agua, near the foot 
of which the ruins of the ancient capital are extant. The 
remains are now known as the Giudad Vieja; i. e., Old City. 
The city was soon afterward rebuilt on a spot a mile 
distant from the original site, and between the Yolcanoes 



GUATEMALA. 



343 



de Agua and de Fuego. These mountains lie about twenty 
miles apart. 

In 1773 the city was almost razed by earthquakes. Sev- 
eral years later it was founded anew in the Valle de las 
Vacas, 25 miles distant from the Ciudad Vieja, and the 
capital was transferred to New Guatemala. The modern 
city is embellished with numerous gardens. Seteral of the 
ancient edifices have been repaired^ and the beholder is 
impressed with their former grandeur and solidity. 

A small stream, the Pensativo Eiyer, runs near the city. 

There are seyeral schools, and one or two newspapers 
are published, in old Guatemala. 

Coffee, sugar-cane, cactus, the cereals, and fruits grow 
in the enyirons. 

The author wishes to record his grateful sense of obligation to Senor 
Don Antonio Batres, the present Minister of Guatemala to the United States, 
for the courtesy with which he has responded to his numerous requests 
for information regarding the condition and prospects of that Kepublic. 




TJie Penitentiary^ Quezaltenanao. 



APPEISTDIX. 



Language. 

The Spanish language, i. e., Castellano, is sj)oken 
throughont the Republic of Mexico. Some of the Indians 
talk Spanish, but the greater part of them have never been 
willing to give up the speech of their ancestors. The 
Mexican or Aztec dialect is spoken by a larger number of 
persons than any other native tongue. 

The other languages are the Tarasc, Cora, Otomi, Hua- 
stec, Mixtec, Totonac, Tzapotec, Maya, Tepehuan, Popo- 
louc, Oaquiquel, Mazahua, Taraumar, and Zotzil. 

There is some difference between the Spanish of Castile 
and that of Mexico in the use of adjectives and nouns, 
e. g,, in Mexico, cliico, meaning ^^ small," is substituted for 
pequ&m, and temhlor, signifying "earthquake," is used for 
terremoto. There is also a slight difference in pronuncia- 
tion in the two countries, e.g., the "11" is pronounced 
like "y " in the word " year " in Mexico, instead of hav- 
ing the palatal sound. The "z" is pronounced like "s," 
instead of having the lisped sound of "tli" in "thief." 
The guttural pronunciation of the jota (j) is not as strong- 
ly marked as in Spain, and the " d " is not sounded in the 
middle of a word. There are twenty-seven letters in the 
Spanish alphabet, every one of which is pronounced, except 
" h," which is always silent. 



34:6 APPENDIX. 

The vowels are pronounced as follows : 
a, like a in father. 



e. 




a 


*' mate. 


i. 




e 


" me. 


0, 







- go. 


u. 




00 


'' boot. 


y. 




y 


'' libert 



^ is a vowel when it stands by itself, or at the end of a 
word, or of a syllable immediately followed by a consonant. 
The consonants are pronounced as follows : 

b, like b in baby (b is often erroneously sounded like v). 

c,* " th in theft. 

ch, ^* ch in chess. 

d, " d in day and fed. 

f, " f in effect. 

g, ** h in ham, he. 
h, '^ h silent in heir. 

], ^' h strongly aspirated in home. 

I, " 1 in labial, elect. 

II, " 11 in brilliant, 
m, ^^ m in amen. 

n, " n in energy, no. 

n, ** n (somewhat nasal) in onion. 

p, *^ p in paper. 

q, " q in piquet, quint. 

r, '* r soft in erect. 

r, " r or rr (very harsh) in horror. 

s, ^' ss in senseless. 

t, " t in tent. 

V, '^ V in velvet. 

X, ^' X (cs) in maxim. 

y softer than g or j in gentry, jet. 

z like th, lisped z, in thermal. 

* C, before a, o, «, ?, r, and when it is at the end of a syllable, sounds 
like k in Eno;lish. 



LANGUAGE. 



347 



In simple words, e, i, c, r, are the only letters that can 
be written double. In compound words, all the vowels, and 
also n and s, are written double whenever any of them are 
the last of the component, and the first of the word to be 
compounded. 

The following words and phrases will be found useful : 



YEEBS. 

To ha.e. I^finiti^e. 

Haber. Tener.* Ser. 



Tole. 



Estar. 



Hming. 
Habiendo. Teniendo. 



GEEUND. 



Being. 
Siendo. Estando. 



Had. 
Habido. Tenido 



PAST PAETICIPLE. 



Been. 



Sido. 



/ have. 

1. He. 

2. Has. 

3. Ha. 

2. Y. ha. 

1. Hemos. 

2. Habeis. 

3. Han. 

2. y Y. ban. 



Indicative Mood. 



PRESENT TENSE. 



Tengo. 
Tienes. 
Tiene. 
Y. tiene. 
Tenemos. 
Teneis. 
Tienen. 
YY. tienen. 



Soy. 
Eres. 
Es. 
Y. es. 
Somos. 
Sois. 
Son. 
YY. son. 



Estado. 



I am. 



Estoy. 
Estas. 
Esta. 
Y. esta. 
Estamos. 
Estais. 
Estan. 
YY. estan. 



/ had. 

1. Habia. 

2. Habias. 

3. Habia. 

2. Y. habia. 

1. Habiamos. 

2. Habiais. 

3. Habian. 

2. YY. habian. 

* Tener 



IMPERFECT TENSE. 



Tenia. 
Tenias. 
Tenia. 
Y. tenia. 
Teniamos. 
Teniais. 
Tenian. 
YY. tenian. 



Era. 

Eras. 

Era. 

Y. era. 

Eraraos. 

Erais. 

Eran. 



I was. 

Estaba. 

Estabas. 

Estaba. 

V. estaba. 

Estabamos. 

Estabais. 

Estaban. 



YY. eran. YY. estaban. 



means " to have " in the possessive sense. 



t8 


APPENDIX. 




FUTUEE 


TENSE. 




I shall have. 


/ shall le. 


1. 


Habre. Tendre. 


Sere. Estare. 


2. 


Habras. Tendras, 


Seras. Estaras. 


3. 


Habra. Tendra. 


Sera. Estara. 


2. 


V. babra. V. tendra. 


Y. sera. Y. estara. 


1. 


Habremos. Tendr^mos. 


Seremos. Estar6mos. 


2. 


Habr^is. Tendreis. 


Serais. Estar^is. 


3. 


Habran. Tendran. 


Seran. Estaran. 


2. 


YV. babran. W. tendran. 


YY. seran. YY. estaran 



AKTICLES. 

Indefinite Article. 

Masculine Singular. A or an, Un. Plural. Some, TJnos or algunos. 
Feminine " " " Una. " Some, Unas or algunas. 

Definite Article. 
Masculine Singular. Tbe, EL Plural. Tbe, Los. 

Feminine " " La. " Tbe, Las. 



PKOJ^OUNS. 

Tbe personal pronouns are: Singular. — I, yo ; tbou, tu ; yon 
(your bonor or worship), usted ; be, el; sbe, ella ; it, eZ, ella^ ello 
or lo. Plural. — We, nosotros or nosotras ; you, vosotros, vosotras, 
or vos; you (your bonors or worsbips), ustedes; tbey, ellos, ellas. 

Possessive Pronouns. 



Singular 




Plural. 


My, 


mi. 




mis. 


Tby, 


tu. 




tus. 


His, 


su or c 


ea 


sus or de ellos. 


Her, 


su or < 


ie ella. 


sus or de ellas. 






Singular. 


Plural. 






■ su or de ^1. 


sus or de ellos. 


Its, 




su or de ella. 


sus or de ellas. 


' 


su or de ellos. 


sus or de ellos. 






. su or de ellas. 


sus or de ellas. 


Mine, 




mio, mios, mia. 


mias. 


Tbine, 




tuyo, tuyos, tuya, tuyas. 



LANGUAGE. 



349 



f suyo, suyos, suja, suyas. 
His, her, its, I el suyo, los suyos, la suya, las suyas. 
theirs. 1 el de el, los de el, el de ella, los de ella. 

L los or las de 61, etc. 
Our, ours, nuestro, nuestros, nuestra, nuestras. 

■ vuestro, vuestros, vuestra, vuestras. 

^^ de Usted or de Ustedes. 

Your, yours, \ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^ ^ ^^ ^^ ^^^ 

. suyo, suyos, suya, suyas. 

Relative Pronouns. 

Quien, in the plural quieiies or quien, who, which, that. 

Que, who, which, what, that. 

Cual, in the plural cualcs, who, which, what, that. 

Cuyo, whose, which. 

Cualquiera, in the plural cualesquiera, whoever, whichever, whatever. 

Quienquiera, whoever, whichever. 



Sing. 

This. 
Masculine. Este. 
Feminine. Esta. 



Demonstrative Pronouns. 

Plur. Sing. Plur. Sing. Plur. 

These. That. Those. That. Those. 

Estos. Ese. Esos. Aquel. Aquellos. 

Estas. Esa. Esas. Aquella. Aquellas. 



Sunday, 

Monday, 

Tuesday, 

"Wednesday, 

Thursday, 

Friday, 

Saturday, 



Enero. 

Febrero. 

Marzo. 



Domingo. 

Liines. 

Martes. 

Mi6rcoles. 

Jueves. 

Yiernes. 

Sabado. 



Abril. 
Mayo. 
Junio. 



Days. 

A holiday. 

Fast-day, 

Once a day. 

Each day. 

To-day, 

To-morrow, 

Yesterday, 

Months. 

Julio. 

Agosto. 
Setiembre. 



dia de fiesta, 
dia de ayuno. 
una vez al dia. 
cada dia. 
hoy. 
manana. 
ayer. 



Octubre. 

Noviembre. 

Diciembre. 



350 


AFPBI^DIX, 


A year, un ano. 


A centurj, un siglo. 


A fortnight, una quincena. 


A week, una semana. 




IJ^IJMBEES. 


1, uno. 


12, doce. 30, treinta. 


2, dos. 


13, trece. 40, cuarenta. 


3, tres. 


14, catorce. 50, cincuenta. 


4, cuatro. 


15, quince. 60, sesenta. 


5, cinco. 


16, diez y seis. 70, setenta. 


6, seis. 


17, diez y siete. 80, ochenta. 


7, siete. 


18, diez y ocho. 90, noventa. 


8, ocho. 


19, diez y nueve. 100, ciento. 


9, nueve. 


20, veinte. 1,000, mil. 


10, diez. 


21, veinte y uno, or 1,000,000, un millon. 


11, once. 


veintiuno. 




Feaotions (las fracciones). 


Half, 


la mitad. 


Third, 


el tercio, la tercera parte. 


Quarter, fourth, el cuarto, la cuarta parte, etc. 


Double, 


el doble. 


Treble, 


el triple. 


First, 


el primero. 


Second, 


el segundo. 


The Seasons (Jas estaciones). 


Spring, la primavera. Mud, el barro, lodo. 


Summer, el verano or estio. Dust, el polvo. 


Autumn, el otofio. 


Thunder, el trueno. 


"Winter, el invierno. Lightning, el reMmpago. 


Cold, el frio. 


Storm, la tempestad. 


Heat, el calor. 


It is going to rain, va a llover. 


Eain, la Uuvia. 


How cold it is, qu6 frio hace. 


Snow, la nieve. 


Too hot, demasiado caliente. 


Dry, seco. 


How warm, qu6 calor. 




Traveling by Eailwat. 


To travel. 


viajar. 


A railway, 


un ferrocarril. 



LANGUAGE. 



351 



A train, 

By the railway-omnibus, 

The luggage, 

How many parcels? 

A baggage-receipt. 

Ticket or booking-office, 

I want a ticket, 

First-class, 

Second-class, 

Third-class, 

How is this station called ? 

How long does the train stop 

here? 
A first-class carriage, 
A refreshment-room. 
To start, 
To arrive, 
A porter, 
J)o we change carriages here ? 



un tren. 

por el omnibus del ferrocarril. 

el equipage. 

cuantos bultos ? 

un talon del equipage. 

un despacho de boletas. 

quiero una boleta. 

primera clase. 

segunda clase. 

tercera clase. 

como se llama esta estacion ? 

cuanto tiempo se detiene aqui el 

tren? 
un coche de primera clase. 
una fonda. 
marchar, salir. 
llegar. 

un portador. 
se cambia aqui de coche (or de tren)? 



The Steamboat (el 'oapor). 

To embark, embarcarse. 

To land, desembarcar, ir a tierra. 

A boat, una lancha. 

A berth, un camarote. 

The deck, el puente. 

Sea-sickness, el mareo. 



The Inn (la fonda). 



The rooms, 

A floor, 

A bed. 

Are the sheets dry ? 

Clean, 

To clean. 

To brush the clothes, 

House-maid, 

Lady's-maid, 

Valet-de-chambre, 



los cuartos. 

unpiso, principal, segundo, bajo, etc. 

una cama. 

estan secas las sabanas ? 

limpio. 

limpiar. 

sacudir la ropa. 

criada. 

doncella. 

ayuda de camara. 



352 



APPENDIX. 



Landlord, 

The bill, 

How much ? 

Bring the breakfast, 

A clean towel, 

To clean the shoes, 

A glass. 

Hot water. 

Boiling water. 

Wash-hand basin, 

A bottle of drinking water, 

Chair, 

Arm-chair, 

A sofa, 

A sitting-room. 

To call one up, 

To rise early, 

To light the fire, 

A chimney, 

A night-light. 

Oil, 

Waiter, 

Soap, 

W. C, 

Urinal, 

Office, 

I want a room. 

With two beds, 

Eoom on the street, 

Inside room. 

Bill, 

How much daily ? 

Shut the door. 

Call my maid, 

Bathing-house, 



el amo, el.fondista. 

la cuenta. 

cuanto ? 

traige Y. el almuerzo. 

una toalla limpia. 

limpiar el calzado. 

un vaso. 

agua caliente. 

agua hirviendo. 

la jofaina (lavamanos). 

una botella de agua para beber. 

la silla. 

la butaca, el sillon. 

un sofa. 

un gabinete. 

despertar. 

madrugar. 

encender f aego. ■ 

una chimenea. 

una lamparilla. 

el aceite. 

camarero, mozo. 

el jabon. 

el escusado or comun. 

el meadero. 

el despacho. 

quiero un cuarto. 

con dos camas. 

cuarto con vista a la calle. 

cuarto interior. 

cuenta. 

cuanto vale diario ? 

cierre Y. la puerta. 

llame Y. d mi doncella. 

casa de banos. 



Give us some dinner, 
Dinner is ready, 



Dinner {la comida). 

demos Y. de comer. 
esta lista la comida. 



LANGUAGE. 



353 



Beef, 

Boiled meat, 

Salt meat, 

Roast, 

Beer, 

Bottle, 

Biscuit, 

Bacon, 

Brandy, 

Bread (plain). 

Butter, 

Cheese, 

Chicken, 

Chop, 

A candle. 

Claret, 

To carve. 

Coffee, 

Chocolate, 

A cup of chocolate, 

A cup, 

The dining-room, 

A dish. 

Table d^hote^ 

"Where is mj cover ? 

An eg^, 

A fresh Qg^^ 

A fish, 

A fork. 

Grapes, 

Hare, 

Ham, 

A knife, 

Lamh, 

A lamp, 

A lemon. 

Liquor, 

Lettuce, 

Meat, 



carne de vaca, res. 

carne cocida. 

carne salada. 

asado. 

la cerveza. 

la hotella. 

el hizcocho. 

el tocino. 

cognac, el aguardiente. 

pan. 

la mantequilla. 

el queso. 

un polio. 

una chuleta. 

una vela. 

vino tinto. 

trinchar. 

el cafe. 

el chocolate. 

una jicara de chocolate. 

una taza. 

el comedor. 

un plato. 

mesa redonda. 

donde esta mi cnhierta. 

un huevo, un blanquillo. 

un huevo fresco. 

un pescado. 

un tenedor. 

uvas. 

la liehre. 

el Jamon. 

un cuchillo. 

el cordero. 

una lampara. 

un limon. 

el licor. 

la iechuga. 

la carne. 



354: 


APPENDIX. 


Cold meat, 


carne fria. 


Milk, 


la leche. 


Hot milk, 


leche caliente or calida. 


Goat's milk, 


leche de cabra. 


Mutton, 


el carnero. 


An omelet, 


una tortilla de huevos. 


Oysters, 


ostiones. 


Pastry, 


pasteleria. 


A cake. 


un pastel. 


Peach, 


abridor, durazno. 


Potatoes, 


las patataSj papas. 


A plate. 


un plato. 


A large dish, 


una fuente. 


A rabbit, 


un conejo. 


A salad. 


una ensalada. 


To serve. 


servir. 


A spoon, 


una cuchara. 


A tea-spoon, 


una cucharita. 


A napkin. 


una servilleta. 


Sweet, 


dulce. * 


Sour, 


agrio. 


Sugar, 


el aziicar. 


Molasses, 


piloncillo, panocha. 


Supper — to sup, 


la cena — cenar. 


A tumbler, 


un vaso. 


A pitcher, 


. un jarro. 


A wine-glass, 


una copa. 


Veal, 


la tern era. 


Vegetables, 


los legumbres. 


Vinegar, 


el vinagre. 


"Water, 


el agua. 


Wine, 


el vino. 



The Post-Offioe {el correo^ casa de correos). 

The office, el despacho. 

A letter, una carta. 

A single letter, una carta sencilla. 

A stamp, una estampilla. 

An envelope, una cubierta. 



LANGUAGE. 



355 



Paper, 

A sheet of paper, 

A quire of paper, 

Blotting-paper, 

Are there letters for me ? 

Here is my name. 

Where is the list ? 

Is the office closed ? 

Is it too heavy ? 

Must this letter be prepaid ? 

The postman^ 



el papel. 

un pliego de papel. 

un mano de papel. 

la teleta. 

hay cartas para mi ? 

este es mi apellido. 

donde esta la lista ? 

esta cerrado el despacho ? 

hay esceso de peso ? 

hay que franquear esta carta ? 

el cartero. 



The Custom-Hoiise (la aduana). 



An employe, 

Is the baggage examined here ? 

Clothes, 

Worn, 

For my own use, 

The tariff, 

The duties. 

What must I pay ? 

Contraband, 

Shut the trunks, 

The keys, 

A carpet-bag, 

A box, 

A hat-box. 

To search, 



un empleado. 

se registra aqui el equipage ? 

la ropa. 

usada. 

para mi uso personal. 

el reglamento. 

los derechos. 

cuanto hay que pagar ? 

el contrabando. 

cierre Y. las maletas. 

los Haves. 

un saco de noche. 

un haul, una caja. 

una sombrerera. 

visitar, registrar. 



Diligence, Posting, Eiding. 

Stable, la cuadra. 

Horses and mules, caballerias. 

Post-house, la parada, la posta. 

Post-boy, el postilion, delantero. 

Driver, el cochero. 

What is the name of this village ? como se llama este pueblo ? 

Are we far ? estamos lejos ? 



We are near, 
The drag, 



estamos cerca. 
la plancha. 



356 



APPENDIX. 



A wheel, 

The pole, 

A team of mules, 

A saddle, 

Stirrups, 

A whip. 

Stop, 

To stop. 

To post. 

When shall we get to 

A bridle. 

Forward, 



Letter- Weiting 



A pen, 

A steel pen, 

Direction, 

ISTote-paper, 

Envelopes, 

Sealing-wax, 

A wafer. 

To put into the P. O., 

A letter-box^ 

Take this to the P. 0., 

A Cab 

Drive me to — street, E'o. 

Are you engaged ? 

Bj the hour, 

Stop here, 

Go farther, 

Go back, 

Go fast. 

Go slower, 

What is the fare ? 

It is too much, 

I shall not pay more, 

Not engaged, i. e., to let 

Coachman, 



una rueda. 

la lanza. 

un tiro de mulas. 

una silla. 

los estribos. 

un latigo, una cuarta. 

pare Y. : alto. 

parar. 

correr la posta. 

cuando llegaremos a ? 

una brida. 
adelante. 

{para escribir una carta). 

una pluma. 

una pluma de acero. 

sobrescrito, senas. 

papel de cartas. 

los sobres. 

el lacre. 

una oblea. 

echar una carta en el correo. 

un buzon. 

Ueve y. esta carta al correo. 



{un eoche de alquiler). 

— , vaya usted a la calle — , niimero- 
esta V. ocupado ? 
por hora. 
pare V. aqui. 
vaya V. mas lejos. 
vuelva Y. 
vaya Y. de prisa. 
vaya Y. mas depacio. 
cuanto ? 
es demasiado. 
no pagar6 mas. 
se alquila. 
el cochero. 



LANGUAGE. 



357 



In a Town 



Where is ? 

The theater, 

The bank, 

Cab-stand, 

The musenm, 

The garden. 

The public walk, 

The palace. 

The magistrate. 

The mayor, 

Which is the way to — 

Turn to the right. 

Turn to the left, 

A policeman, 

A street, 

A square, 

I wish to see, 

I do not understand, 

I do not speak Spanish, 

I am an American, 

I am an Englishman, 



(en una ciudad). 

donde esta ? 

el teatro. 

el banco. 

la parada de coches de alquiler. 

el museo. 

el jardin. 

el paseo. 

el palacio. 

el magistrado. 

el alcalde. 

por donde se va a ? 



vuelva V. a la derecha. 
vuelva Y. a la izquierda. 
un agente de policia. 
una calle. 
una plaza, 
deseo ver, visitar. 
no comprendo. 
no hablo Espanol. 
soy Americano, 
soy Ingles. 



The washerwoman. 

An apron, 

A cap, 

A collar, 

Cotton, 

A crinoline, 

A cravat, 

Dirty linen, 

Drawers, 

A dressing-gown. 

An under-petticoat, 

An upper-petticoat, 

A flannel waistcoat, 

A napkin, 

A night-shirt, 



The Washestg {lavadura). 

la lavandera. 

un delantal. 

una gorra. 

un cuello. 

el algodon. 

nn mirinaque. 

una corbata. 

ropa sucia. 

los calzoncillos. 

una bata. 

una enagua. 

un guardapies. 

un chaleco interior de flanela. 

una toalla. 

una camisa de dormir. 



358 



APPENDIX. 



A handkerchief, 

Sheets, 

Shu-t, 

Stays, 

Stockings, 

Washing, 

Washing-bill, 

Let us count. 



un panuelo. 

las sabanas. 

la camisa. 

el corse, la faja. 

los calcetinas, las medias (if long). 

lavadura. 

la cuenta de la ropa limpia. 

contemos. 



Bring the clean linen immediately, traige Yd. la ropa blanca ahora. 
The stains, las manchas. 

Starch, el almidon. 

To iron, planchar. 



VOCABULAEY. 



About, 

Above (beyond). 

Above (or upward), 

Abroad, 

Accordingly, 

According to. 

Advance, in, 

Afoot, on foot, ■ 

Afraid, to be. 

Ago, long ago. 

All, everybody, 

All the better, 

Ambassador, 

Apartment, 

Appears, it, 

Apple, 

Apricot, 

As for, as to, 

Ascend, to, 

Ashore, 

Ask, to. 

As much. 

Asparagus, 



sobre, cerca. 

encima de, mas de. 

arriba. 

fuera, fuera de su casa. 

en conformidad. 

segun. 

por adelantado. 

a pie. 

tener miedo. 

pasado, hace mucho tierapo. 

todo, todo el mundo. 

tanto mejor. 

embajador. 

habitacion, cuarto. 

parece. 

manzana. 

albaricoque. 

en cuanto a. 

subir. 

por a tiei:ra, en el suelo. 

pedir. 

tanto. 

esparrago. 



LANGUAGE, 



359 



Assembly-room, 

As soon as, 

As though, 

Auction, 

Auction- room, 

Auctioneer, 

Away, 

Back-door, 

Bag, carpet-bag, 

Bakery, 

Ball, 

Ball (billiard), 

Banana, 

Bandbox, 

Bank-book, 

Bank-note, 

Bank post-bill. 

Bank, 

Branch-bank, 

Bank (joint-stock), 

Bank (savings), 

Banker, 

Barber, 

Bargain, 

Bargain, to make a good, 

buy cheaply. 
Barley, 
Basket, 
Bath, 

Bath-keeper, 
Bath (warm), 
Bath (tepid), 
Bath (shower), 
Bathing-room, 
Bathing establishment, 
Bathing-dress or gown, 
Beans, 
Bedstead, 
Bed-clothes, 



sal a de reunion, 
desde que, enseguida. 
como si. 
almoneda. 
sala de ventas. 
tasador; vendutero. 
adelante, lejos de aqui. 
puerta de detras. ' 
saco, saco de noche, saco de viaje, 
panaderia. [6 maleta. 

baile. 
bola. 
platano. 
carton. 

libro de banco, 
billete de banco, 
mandato a orden del banco, 
banco. 

sucursal (del banco), 
banco por acciones. 
banco de ahorras. 
banquero. 
barbero. 

mercado, contrato. 
or to hacer una buena compra ; 6 com- 
prar alguna cosa a buen precio. 
cebada. 

cesta; tenate; canasta, 
bano. 
banista. 
bano caliente. 
bano tibio. 

bano de asiento ducado. 
sala de banos. 
casa de banos. 
peinador. 
habas. 

madera de cama. 
mantas, sabanas. 



360 



APPENDIX. 



Bed-chamber or bed-room, 

Bed-time, 

Beef, 

Beef-steak, 

Beer, 

Begone, 

Behold, look. 

Bellows, 

Bell-pull or bell-rope, 

Below or down-stairs, 

Best, for the ; at best. 

Betimes, early. 

Better, I had. 

Better and better. 

Better for the, 

Beyond (pointing). 

Beyond that house. 

Bill-broker, 

Billiard-room, 

Bill; bill of fare, 

Bird, 

Biscuit, 

Black, 

Blacksmith, 

Blanket, 

Blind, 

Blue, 

Board (living). 

Boarder (at a boarding-house). 

Boarding-house or school; family 

Bolster, [boarding-house. 

Book-binder, 

Bootmaker, 

Boots, men's ; women's. 

Boot-jack, 

Bottle; half-bottle. 

Box, 

Brandy, 

Brass, 



cuarto por dormir, 6 dormitoriOo 

la bora de acostarse. 

buey, res. 

bifteck. 

cerveza. 

vayase Y. 

mire V. he aqui. 

bofeton. 

cordon de campanilla. 

abajo. 

per lo mejor; la mejor. 

temprano. 

hare mejor. 

mejor y mejor. 

mejor. 

alia. 

mas lejos de esta casa. 

corredor de cambio. 

salon de billar. 

nota ; billete ; ef ecto. 

pajaro. 

bizcocho. 

negro. 

herrero. 

manta. 

velo. 

azul. 

pension, comida. 

colegial. 

colegio ; casa de hu^spedes. 

traversero ; almohadon. 

encuadernador. 

zapatero. 

botas; botines. 

sacabotas. 

botella ; media botella. 

caja. 

aguardiente. 

bronce. 



LANGUAGE, 



361 



Bread, fresh, stale, houseliold, 

brown, 
Breakfast, 
Break of day, 
Breeze, 
Brewer, 
Brew-house, 
Bricklayer, 
Bridge, 
Bring, 
Broad, 
Brown, 

Brush, clothes ; tooth ; boot. 
Bug, 

Build, to, 
Builder, 
Burial-ground, 
Business ; in business 
Butcher; butcher's shop, 
Butter; butter-boat. 
Button, 
By-way, 
Cab, 

Cabbage, 

Cabin, first ; fore cabin. 
Cage, 

Cake ; cake of soap, 
Candle; wax-candle, 
Candlestick, 
Cap, 
Capon, 
Captain, 

Card; card-case, 
Card (visiting). 
Cards, a pack of, 
Carpenter, 

Carriage; carriage with two 
Carrots, . [horses, 

Cart, 

16 



pan, tierno, duro, de casa, mo- 

reno. 
almuerzo. 
punta del dia. 
brisa, viento. 
cervecero. 
cerveceria. 
albanil. 
puente. 
traer. 
ancho. 
moreno. 

cepillo de ropa ; de diente ; de 
chinche. [botas. 

construir. 
constructor, 
cimenterio. 

negocio ; en el negocio. 
carnioero ; carniceria. 
mantequilla ; salsera. 
boton. 

camino desviado. 
cabriole ; coche de plazon. 
col. 

primera, segunda sala. 
jaula. 
pastel, 
candela. 
candelero. 
gorro. 
capon, 
capitan. 
carta; cartera. 
tarjeta. 

una baraja de naipes. 
carpintero. 

coche ; coche con dos caballos. 
zanahorias. 
carreta. 



362 



APPENDIX. 



Cash ; ready money, 

Cashier, 

Cathedral, 

Cauliflower, 

Cave, 

Cedar, 

Certainly, 

Chain; watch-chain, 

Chamher-maid, 

Chamber-pot, 

Chair ; arm-chair ; easy-chair. 

Cheap ; cheaper, 

Cheese, 

Chemist, 

Check, 

Check-book, 

Cherry, 

Chest; trunk, 

Chicken, 

Child, 

Chocolate, 

Choose, to, 

Church (for Protestants), 

Circus, 

City, 

Club; society, 

Coach, 

Coachman, 

Coach-oflSce ; coach-stand. 

Coat; frock-coat; great-coat. 

Coal; coal-scuttle, 

Coast, 

Cod, 

Coffee, 

small cup of, 

with milk, 

without milk. 
Coffee-pot, 
Coffee-house, 



moneda; dinero al contado, 6 con- 

cajero. [tante. 

catedral. 

coliflor. 

cueva. 

cedro. 

ciertamente. 

cadena ; cadena de reloj. 

cam arista. 

servicio, orinal. 

silla ; sillon ; butaca. 

a buen precio ; mas barato. 

queso. 

quimico. 

mandado. 

libro de mandados. 

cereza. 

caja ; cofre, haul. 

polio. 

nino, nina f. 

chocolate. 

escoger. 

iglesia; templo. 

circulo. 

pueblo ; ciudad. 

reunion; sociedad. 

coche. 

cochero. 

cochera ; estacion de coches. 

casaca; levita; pardessus. 

carbon; carbonera. 

costa ; playa. 

bacalao. 

cafe. 

media taza. 

cafe con leche. 

caf6 solo. 

cafetera. 

caf6. 



LANGUAGE, 



363 



Coin, 

Cold, to be, 

Colonel, 

Comb, 

Oompanj, 

Company (joint-stock). 

Compartment (of a railway-car- 

Compass, [I'iage, 

Conceal, to. 

Concert, 

Conductor, 

Contract, 

Convent, 

Cook, 

Copper (money). 

Corn, 

Cork ; cork-screw. 

Corset ; corset-maker, 

Cost, tbe, 

Cotton, 

darning, 

reel of, 

fabric, [counter, 

Counter in a shop ; lady at the 
Course at dinner ; for races. 
Court (of a house). 
Court (of assizes). 
Court (of justice), 
Cow, 
Cowherd, 
Cup, 

Cupboard, 
Currant-jam, 
Currants, 
Curtain, 
Custard-apple, 
Custom-house, 
Custom-house officer. 
Cutlet, 



dinero. 

tener frio. 

coronel. 

peine. 

compafiia, sociedad. 

sociedad por acciones. 

departamento. 

briijula. 

ocultar. 

concierto. 

director; guia; conductor. 

contrato, escritura. 

convento. 

cocinero ; cocinera. 

cobre. 

raaiz. 

tapon ; tirabuzon. 

corse ; fabricante de corses. 

precio, gastos. 

algodon. 

algodon liso. 

bobina de algodon. 

tegido de algodon. 

escritorio ; senora de escritorio. 

servicio; arena 6 plaza; hipo- 

patio. [dromo. 

tribunal de la audiencia. 

tribunal de justicia, juzgado. 

vaca. 

vaquero. 

copa. 

armario. 

confitura ; 6 dulce de grosellas. 

grosellas. 

cortina. 

chirimoya. 

aduana. 

aduanuero. 

Costilla. 



364: 



APPENDIX. 



Cypress, 

Daily, 

Dairy, 

Date-tree, 

Day ; a fine day ; a lovely day, 

Dear, 

Depart, to, 

Dining-room, 

Dinner ; dinner-time. 

Directly (time). 

Dish (utensil), (food), 

Distance ; in the distance. 

Dog, 

Drawing-room, 

Dressing-room, 

Drink, 

Driver (of a coach), 

Drug-store, 

Eating-house, 

Elm, 

Emhassy, 

Entrance, 

Errand-hoy, 

Evening, 

This evening, 

Yesterday evening. 

To-morrow evening. 
Every one. 
Everybody, 
Every day, 
Exchange (building). 

Rate of exchange, 

Current exchange. 

Exchange-office, 
Exhibition (sight), 
Exit, 
Fair, 

Farewell, 
Farther, 



cipres. 

todos los dias. 

lecheria. 

palma, palmera. 

dia ; un buen dia ; un hermosa dia. 

querido. 

salir. 

comedor. 

comida ; hora de comida. 

enseguida; inmediatamente. 

fuente; manjar; plato. 

distancia. 

perro. 

salon de reunion. 

cuarto de vestir. 

beber. 

cochero; conductor. 

drogueria. 

fonda. 

olmo. 

embajada. 

entrada. 

mozo que hace comisiones. 

noche. 

esta noche. 

ayer noche. 

manana por la noche. 

cada uno. 

todo el mundo. 

todos los dias. 

cambio ; bolsa. 

tasa del cambio. 

curso del cambio. 

casa del cambio ; monedas. 

exposicion. 

salida. 

una feria. 

adios. 

mas lejos. 



LANGUAGE. 



365 



Fasten, to, 

Few, a 

Field, 

Finger, 

Finger-glass, 

Fir (tree). 

Fire-iron, 

Fireman; fire-engine, 

Fish, 

Fish-slice, 

Flea, 

Floor (story), 

Flour, 

Fog, 

Food or board, 

Fore-deck, 

Forenoon, 

For instance ; in the first instance. 

Fork, 

Fortnight ; a fortnight ago, 

Fowl, 

Freight, 

Friend, 

Fritters, 

From, 

From above, 

From afar. 

From behind. 

From below or beneath. 

From here or hence, 

From top to bottom, 

Fruit; fruit-market; fruiterer, 

Full, 

Furniture, 

Game, 

Gaol, 

Garden, 

German, 

Grape, 



amarrar. 

un poco de. 

campo. 

dedo. 

taza. 

abeto. 

adorno de hierro. 

bombero; bomba. 

pescado. 

frulla. 

pulga. 

piso, 

harina. 

niebla. 

comida, alimento. 

proa. ^ 

antes de mediodia. 

por exemplo ; en el principio, 

tenedor. 

quincena ; hace unos quince dias. 

ave ; volateria. 

carga, flete. 

amigo; amiga. 

bunuelos. 

de. 

de arriba. 

de lo alto. 

de lejos. 

de detras ; de abajo. 

de aqui. 

de arriba abajo. 

fruto ; mercado de frutos ; frute- 

lleno. [ro; frutera. 

muebles. 

caza. 

prision. 

jardin. 

Aleman. 

uva. 



366 



APPENDIX. 



Gray, 

Green, 

Guard (railway), 

Gin, 

Glass, 

Looking-glass, 

Eye-glass, 

Glasses (spectacles), 
Go, to. 
Goose, 

Greengrocer, 
Grocer, 
Ground-floor, 
Haberdasher, 
Hackney-coacb, 
Hair-brush, 
Ham, 
Hamlet, 
Harbor, 
Hat; hat-box, 
Hay, 
Heavy, 
Hemp, 
Hides, 
Horse, 
Horse-race, 
Horse-whip, 
Hose or stockings, 
Hosier ; hosiery. 
Hostler, 
Hour; half an hour; an hour 

and a half. 
House, 

Town-house, 

Country-house, 
Housekeeper, 
Housemaid, 
Hungry, to be. 
Ice; ice-cream, 



pardo. 

verde. 

gefe de tren. 

ginebra. 

vidrio. 

espejo. 

cristal anteojo. 

anteojos. 

ir; andar. 

ganso. 

yerdulero. 

vendedor de comestibles. 

piso de la calle. 

mercero ; marchante de noveda- 

coche. [des. 

cepillo para el pelo. 

jamon. 

pueblo ; pueblocillo. 

puerto, 

sombrero ; sombrerera, 

heno, yerba seca. 

pesado. 

henequen. 

pieles. 

caballo. 

corrida de caballos. 

latigo, cuarta. 

medias. 

marchante de medias ; boneteria. 

palafrenero. 

bora ; media hora ; una hora y 

media, 
casa. 

casa de ciudad. 
casa de campo. 
conserje. 
serviente. 
tener hambre. 
hielo ; nieve. 



LANGUAGE. 



367 



Ice and punch, 

Immediatelj, 

In case ; in that case, 

Indeed, 

In due course ; of course, 

India-rubber, 

Indigo, 

Inn, 

Ink, 

Instead, 

Jacket, 

Joint of meat. 

Keepsake, 

Key, 

Kidney, 

Kitchen-maid, 

Knapsack, 

Knife, 

Carving-knife, 

Fruit-knife, 
Label or ticket (on a box), 
Lace, 
Lad, 
Lady, 

Lamp ; safety-lamp. 
Landlady, of a boarding-house or 

hotel. 
Landlord of an inn, 
Lane, in a town ; in the country. 
Last, at. 
Latch-key, 
Laundress, 
Lead, 
Lease, 

Least, at ; not in, 
Left ; to the left, 
Less ; less and less ; so much the 

less, 
Letter, 



helado; sorbete. 

enseguida ; inmediatamente. 

en caso que ; en este caso. 

en efecto ; en verdad. 

en su tiempo ; bien entendido. 

hule ; goma elastica. 

anil. 

fonda; posada. 

tinta. 

en lugar de. 

vesta ; camisola ; cintura. 

pedazo de vianda. 

recuerdo (de amistad). 

Have. 

rinon. 

cocinera. 

mochila ; saco de viaje. 

cuchillo. 

cortador. 

cuchillo para las frutas. 

etiqueta. 

blonda, 

muchacho. 

senora; senorita. 

lampara ; lampara de seguridad. 

senora; duena; huespeda patro- 
na. 

huesped ; patron. 

send a ; camino. 

al liltimo ; por tltimo. 

Have ganzua ; pestillo. 

lavandera. 

plomo. 

un arriendo. 

al menos ; no del todo. 

izquierdo ; a la izquierda. 

menos ; de poco en poco ; de tan- 
to menos. 

carta. 



368 



APPENDIX. 



Letter of exchange, 
Light, adj.^ 
Lieutenant, 
Lime (fruit), 
Limestone, 
Linen, 

Dirty linen, 

Clean linen, 
Line of railway. 
Little, a, 

Not much, 

As little as possible. 
Lobster, 
Lock, 

Under lock and key. 
Locomotive, 

Lodgings, furnished; unfurnished, 
Logwood, 
Long ago, 
Luggage, 
Luggage-van, 
Lunch or luncheon, 
Mackerel, 
Maid of all work, 
Man ; old man ; young man, 
Manufacture, a. 
Manufactory, 
Map, 

Market, market-place. 
Mass, 

Match (for a light). 
Meal-time, 

Meat; boiled meat; roast meat, 
Merchant, 
Mercury, 

Message; messenger, 
Milk, 

Minister of State, 
Mint, 



letra de cambio. 

ligero, leve. 

teniente. 

lima. 

caliza. 

ropa. 

ropa sucia. 

ropa limpia. 

via. 

un poco. 

no mucho. 

lo menos posible. 

cangrejo. 

cerradura. 

bajo Have. 

maquina. 

habitaciones muebladas, sin mue- 

palo de tinte. [bles. 

hace mucho tiempo. 

equipage. 

vagon. 

segundo almuerzo. 

maquerel ; sarda. 

sirvienta para todo. 

hombre; viejo; joven. 

fabrica ; obra. 

fabrica. 

mapa. 

mercado, plaza del mercado. 

oficios ; misa. 

fosforo. 

hora de comida. 

carne ; pulchero ; asado. 

marchante ; negociante. 

azogue. 

mensaje; recado ; mensajero. 

leche. 

Ministro del Estado. 

moneda ; casa de moneda. 



LAN au AGE. 



369 



Mirror, 

Miss (young lady), 

Mist, 

Money, 

Bad money, 

Silver, 

Gold, 

Copper, 
Money changer, 
Money broker, 

Month ; by the month ; monthly, 
Moon, 

Full moon, 

New moon, 

Moonlight. 
More ; some more ; once more, 
Morning, 

Every morning. 

In the morning, 

All the morning. 
Mortgage, 
Most ; utmost, 
Mother, 

Mother country. 

Mother tongue, 
Much, 

So much. 

Too much. 

How much. 
Music ; music hall or room, 

Music-dealer, 
Mustard ; mustard-box. 
Mutton, 

Mutton-chop, 

Leg of mutton, 
Needle, 
Newspaper, 
Newsvender, 
Night, 

17 



espejo. 
senorita. 
niebla; neblina. 
dinero, moneda. 
moneda falsa. 

de plata. 

de oro. 

de cobre. 
cambista. 

corredor de cambio. 
mes ; al mes; todos los meses. 
luna. 

luna Uena. 
luna nueva, 

luna clara. [poco ; otra vez. 

mas ; mas de ; aun ; mas ; aun de 
manana; aurora, 
todas las maiianas. 
la manana ; por la manana. 
toda la manana. 
hipoteca. 

cerca ; _f uerte ; k lo mas ; todo lo 
madre. [mas. 

madre patria. 
lengua materna. 
mucho; Men. 
muy tanto. 
demasiado. 
cuanto. 

mdsica; sala de mdsica. 
marchante de musica. 
mostaza; mostacero. 
carnero. 

Costilla de carnero. 
gigote. 
aguja. 
peri6dico. 

marchante de peri6dicos. 
noche. 



370 



APPENDIX. 



Good night, 

All night, 

Every night, 
Noon, 
Not at all, 
Note (letter), 

(small letter), 

(bank note), 
Now, 

Till now. 

Just now. 
Nurse; nursery, 
Oak, 
Oar, 
Oats, 
Oil, 

One; once. 
Onion, 

Opera; opera-glass, 
Opinion ; in my opinion, 
Orange, 

Outside, the (of a diligence), 
Outskirts of a town, 
Over ; above ; across ; upon. 
Overcoat, 
Ox-tongue, 
Oyster, 
Palace, 
Paper, 

Newspaper, 
Letter-paper, 
Blotting-paper, 
Parcel, 
Parlor, 

Part ; for ray part, 
Partner ; at a ball ; business. 
Passenger, 

Pastry; pastry-cook. 
Path, 



buenas noches. 

tod a la noche. 

todas las noches. 

mediodia. 

no del todo. 

carta. 

billete. 

billete de banco. 

ahora. 

en este momento, ^asta aqui. 

enseguida. 

nodriza ; cuarto para los ninos. 

roble ; encina. 

remo. 

avena. 

aceite. 

un ; una ; una vez. 

cebolla. 

opera ; lente. 

opinion ; a mi parecer, 

naranja. 

fuera ; exterior. 

arrabal. [al traves ; sobre. 

encima de ; por encima ; sobre ; 

sobretodo. 

lengua de buey. 

ostion. 

palacio. 

papel, 

periodico. 

papel de cartas. 

papel secante, teleta. 

paquete. 

pefio salon ; locutorio. 

parte ; porcion ; por mi parte. 

bailarin; bailarin socio, socia; 

pasajero. [pareja. 

pasteleria; pastelero. 

camino, vereda. 





LANOUAQE. 37 


By-path, 


senda. 


Foot-path or pavement, 


acera. 


Pawnbroker's shop, 


monte pio. 


Peach, 


alberchigo, durazno. 


Pear, 


pera. 


Peas, green, 


guisantes, chicharos. 


Pencil, 


lapiz. 


Penknife, 


cortaplumas. 


Pepper, pepper-box. 


pimienta, pirn enter o. 


Pheasant, 


faisan. 


Pickpocket, 


estafador; rafero. 


Picture, 


cuadro ; pintura. 


Pier, 


mola; escalera; muelle. 


Pillow, 


almohada. 


Pin, 


alfiler. 


Pinch of snuff, 


polvo ; polvo de tabaco. 


Pine, 


pino. 


Pine-apple, 


pifla. 


Pint ; half a pint. 


pinta ; medio pinta. 


Pipe (for tobacco). 


pipa. 


Pit (theatre), 


platea. 


Places round about. 


. los lugares del alrededor. 


Plate ; soup-plate, 


plato ; plato para la sopa. 


Plaj, 


espectaculo. 


Play-house, 


comedia. 


Bill of the play. 


programa del espectaculo. 


Pleasure-boat ; boatman. 


lancha ; batelage. 


Plough, 


arado. 


Pocket; pocket-book. 


faltriquera; bolsa; cartera. 


Police, 


policia. 


Police-officer, 


agente de policia ; guardia civil. 


Police-court, 


tribunal de policia. 


Pomegranate, 


granadita. 


Poor, the poor, 


pobre; indigente. 


Poplar, 


alamo. 


Pork, 


cochino. 


Pork-chop, 


Costilla de cochino. 


Pork-butcher, 


salchichero. 


Post-office, 


casa de correos. 



372 



APPENDIX. 



By the post, 

Office for letters to be left until 

Postage-stamps, [called for, 
Potato, 

Present (gift) ; at present, 
Preserves, 
Price ; lowest price, 
Prison ; prisoner, 
Provisions, 
Prune (plum), 
Publisher, 
Pump; fire-punrp. 
Pumpkin, 
Purpose, 

On purpose, 

To no purpose, 

To little purpose. 
Purse, 
Quarter, 
Quiet, 
Eabbit, 
Kace-course, 
Eailroad or railway, 
Eailway station, 
Raspberry, 
Read, to. 

Receipt ; receipt in fuU, 
Red, 

Refreshment-room, 
Rent, to. 
Retail, 

Retail-dealer, 

Wholesale and retail, 
Return ticket. 
Right, 

To the right. 
Ring, to, 
River, 
Road ; carriage-road, 



por el correo. 

posta restante, 

estampillas. 

patata, papa. 

regalo ; presente. 

dulces. 

precio ; el Ultimo precio. 

carcel, prision; prisionero. 

viveres; comestibles. 

ciruela. 

editor; publicador. 

bomba; bomba de apagar los in- 

calabaza. [cendios. 

fin; efecto. 

espreso ; de proposito. 

sin efecto. 

poco efecto. 

bolsa. 

cuarto, barrio. 

tranquil o. 

conejo. 

terreno de corridos. 

ferrocarril. 

estacion. 

frambuesa. 

leer. 

recibo ; carta de page. 

Colorado ; rojo. 

fonda. 

alquilcr. 

por menor. 

vendedor por menor. 

por mayor y menor. 

boleta de vuelta. 

derecho. 

d la derecha. 

tocar. 

rio. 

ruta, camino ; via carretera. 



J 



LANGUAGE, 



373 



High-road, or main road ; by- 
road; cross-road, 
Room, 

Round about, 
Route, 
Rye, 
Saloon, 
Salt, 
Same, 

It is all the same, 
Sauce, 
Saucer, 
Sausage, 
Saj, to, 
Scarcely, 
School, 

Boarding-school, 

Day-scliool, 
Schoolmaster, 
Sea ; rough sea, 

Smooth sea, 

Sea-sickness, 

Sea-side, 
Seed, 
Servant, 

Servant of all work, 
Shave, to. 
Sheep, 
Sheet, 

Ship; steamship, 
Shoe, 

Shoe-black, 
Shoe-born, 
Shop, 

Shop-keeper, 
Shovel, 
Show, to. 

Side, this ; that side, 
Slice, 



camino real ; camino desviado ; 

camino cruzante. 
cuarto. 

todo alrededor. 
rumbo. 
centeno. 

salon, sala de visitas. 
sal. 

mismo. 

es todo lo mismo ; es igual. 
salsa, 
platillo. 
salchichon. 
decir. 
apenas. 

escuela; colegio. 
colegio. 
colegio. 
maestro. 

mar ; alta mar, mar agitada. 
mar tranquila. 
mareo. 
costa. 
semilla. 

sirviente, sirvienta; criado. 
criada para todo. 
rasurar. 
oveja. 
sabana. 

buque ; vapor, 
zapato. 
limpiabotas. 
calzador. 
almacen ; tienda. 
tendero ; tendera. 
pala. 
ensefiar. 

por este lado ; por aquel lado. 
tajada. 



374- 


APPEXniX. 


Soap, 


jabon. 


Soldier, 


soldado. 


Soup, 


sopa. 


SpoDge, 


esponja. 


Spoon, 


cuchara. 


Tablespoon, 


cuchara para la sopa. 


Dessert-spoon, 


cuchara para postres. 


Teaspoon, 


cuchara de t6. 


Spruce, 


pruche. 


Stable (for horses), 


caballeriza. 


Stableman, 


criada de establo. 


Stairs, 


escalera. 


Up-stairs, 


d arriba. 


Down-stairs, 


d abajo. 


Stamp, 


timbre. 


Station-master, 


gefe de estacion. 


Steamboat, 


vapor. 


Steam-boiler, 


caldera de vapor. 


Steam-engine, 


maquina k vapor. 


Story (of a house), on 


first, sec- piso, al primer piso, al segundo. 


ond, etc.. 


etc. 


Stew (of meat, etc.), 


estofado; guisado. 


Straight ahead, 


todo derecho. 


Straw, 


paja. 


Strawberry, 


fresa. 


Street, 


calle. 


String-beans, 


ej6tes. 


Strong, 


fuerte. 


Sugar ; lump of sugar, 


aziicar ; pedazo de azucar. 


Summer, 


verano. 


Sunrise; sunset, 


salir del sol ; ponerse el sol. 


Supper ; supper-time, 


cena; hora de cena. 


Surgeon, 


cirujano medico. 


Sweep, to, 


barrer. 


Sweetbread, 


lechecilla de ternera. 


Sword, 


espada. 


Table, 


mesa. 


Card- table. 


mesa de juego. 


Writing-table, 


mesa para escribir. 



LANGUAGE. 



375 



Work-table, 
Table-cloth, 
Table-linen, 
Tailor, 
Tart, a. 
Tax, 
Tea, 

Tea-kettle, tea-pot, 

Tea-things, 

Tea-tray, 
Teacher, 
Telegraph, 

Electric telegraph, 

To telegraph. 
Theater, 
There, 

Here and there, 

Down (or over) there, 

Up there. 
Thick, 
Thin, 
Thing, 

Thirsty, to be. 
Ticket (railway). 
Till now, 

Till then, 

Till to-morrow. 

Till Wednesday, 
Time-table (railway). 
Tin, 
Title, 
Tobacco, 

Tobacco-pipe, 

Tobacconist, 
To-day, 

Every day, 

Good-day, 
To-night, [morrow. 

To-morrow ; the day after to- 



mesa de trabajo. 

manteles. 

ropa para la mesa. 

sastre. 

tarta. 

contribucion. 

iL 

tetera. 

servicio para el te. 

plato. 

maestro, maestra ; profesor. 

telegrafo. 

tel^grafo eMctrico. 

anunciar por telegrafo. 

teatro. 

alii. 

aqui y alii. . 

alia abajo. 

alll arriba. 

espeso ; grueso. 

delgado ; magro. 

objeto. 

tener sed. 

boleta. 

hasta aqui. 

hasta entonces. 

hasta man an a. 

hasta el miercoles. 

indicador. 

estafio. 

titulo. 

tabaco. 

pipa. 

marchante de tabaco. 

hoy. 

todos los dias. 

buenos dias. 

esta noche. 

mafiana ; pasado maflana. 



376 



APPENDIX. 



Tooth, 

Tour, 

Tourist, 

Tower, 

Towel, 

Town ; town-hall, 

Train (railway), 

Down-train, 

Up-train, 

Ordinary train, 

Express train, 

Fast train. 

Mail train. 
Travel, to. 

Traveler, 

Commercial traveler, 
Tree, 

Trunk (traveling), 
Trust, to, 
Tunnel, 
Turf, 
Turn, to. 
Twilight, 
Umbrella, 
Under, 
Up, 

Down, 

Up there, 
Use, 

Of use, 

For the use of. 
Usury, 
Yeal, 

Vegetables, 
Velvet, 
Vest, 

Vinegar ; cooked with vinegar, 
Village, 
Visit, to. 



diente. 

vuelta. 

viajero. 

torre. 

toalla. 

ciudad ; casa de ayuntamiento. 

tren. 

tren de salida. 

tren de vuelta. 

tren ordinario. 

tren directo. 

tren volante. 

tren de correo. 

viajar, 

viajero. 

viajador de comercio. 

arbol. 

maleta. 

confiar. 

tunel; subterraneo. 

cesped ; campo de corrida. 

volver. 

crepiisculo. 

paragua. 

debajo. 

alto ; arriba. 

abajo. 

alia arriba. 

uso ; empleo. 

litil. 

al uso de. 

usura. 

ternera. 

legumbres. 

terciopelo. 

chaleco. 

vinagre ; a la vinagreta. 

pueblo. 

visitar. 



LANGUAGE. 



377 



Voyage ; on a voyage, 

Watch, 

Wages, 

Wagon, 

Waiter, 

Waiting-room, 

Waitress, 

Wake, to. 

Walk, 

Walking-stick, 

Warehouse, 

Warm, to be. 

Washerwoman, 

Water, 

Clean water. 

Cold water. 

Warm water, 

Fresh water, 
Water-bottle, 
Watermelon, 
Wax, 

Wax-light, 
Wayfarer, 
Weary, 
Weather, 

Fine weather, 

Rainy weather. 
Week, 

This day week. 

Last week, 

Next week. 
Wheat, 
Wheel, 
White, 
Willow, 
Wind, 
Wine ; red wine. 

White wine. 

Wine-glass, 



viaje; travesia; en viaje. 

reloj. 

salario, gajes. 

carreta, vagon. 

mozo. 

salon de espera. 

muchacha. 

velar. 

paseo ; vuelta. 

baston. 

almacen. 

tener calor. 

lavandera. 

agua. 

agua limpia. 

agna fria. 

agua caliente. 

agua fresca. 

jarro. 

sandia. 

cera. 

candela. 

carainante. 

cansado. 

tiempo. 

buen tiempo. 

los tiempos de Uuvia. 

semana. 

de hoy en ocbo. 

la Ultima semana. 

la semana proxima. 

trigo. 

rued a. 

bianco. 

sauce. 

viento. 

vino ; vino tinto. 

vino bianco. 

vaso de vino. 



378 



APPENDIX. 



Wood, 
Workman, 
Wrap, to, 

Year, 

YeUow, 

Yes, * 

Yesterday, 

Yesterday evening, 

The day before yesterday, 

Young, 

Zinc, 



madera; lena. 

obrero, labrador. 

envolver. 

afio. 

araarillo. 

si; en efecto. 

ayer. 

ayer noche. 

dntes de ayer. 

joven. 

zinc. 



THE END. 



3477-6 



CITY OF MEXICO. 



CITi OF MEXICO. 




VALLEY OF MEXICO. 




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